Adventurous Stories In Babysitting
by virtualboy2558
Summary: Timmy wants nothing more than to have just one friend in his life... little did he knew, that friend was closer than he thought. Meanwhile, Valentina wants to get a job in babysitting, but the mom has a grudge on her. But good old E. Gadd happens to have something that'll solve her problem... and open up a set of new ones. Rated T for violence, nudity, and mature subject matter.
1. Chapter 1: The Lonely Toad & Job Hunting

Adventurous Stories In Babysitting

By: Virtualboy2558

/

Starring: Valentina, Mario, Luigi and E. Gadd from Nintendo™, and original characters Timmy and Tutti made by MER255 and Virtualboy2558.

Disclaimer: Super Mario RPG is Copyrights of Nintendo, Square, and Shigeru Miyamoto. I do not own, nor profit, from any or all of the characters mentioned.

/

It was another Saturday morning in the Mushroom Kingdom. Many of the little Toad children were yipping for joy, knowing the school week was over. So they spend the rest of the day making the most of their freedom. Everywhere on the streets, many young boys and girls were engaged in one activity or another. The neighbourhood that stretched across Bleeker Street was no exception.

There were a couple of Goomba kids that were playing hopscotch down one end of the curb, while two Koopa twins were playing tag on their front lawn. A Lakitu, a Wiggler and a Shy Guy were throwing a Frisbee around, watching as each one of them went long for the flying disc. And three Moleville sisters were having a fun tea party, as they sipped on their pink plastic teacups.

There wasn't a kid out here who was not having the time of their lives.

Well… except for one child….

On one side of the street was a cozy wooden house with a red rooftop and old-fashioned windows, complete with shutters and flowerpots on the sill. And in one of those windows, a Toad boy with a purple-spotted cap and blue shirt… was sitting on the ledge, sadly watching the kids outside having fun.

Timmy was your average 8 year old Toad. He lived with his mother and little sister, both of whom he sometimes had his share of ups and downs in the past… but overall loved. He was always one yearning for something thrilling to happen in his life, and can be a bit adventurous and reckless (which would be the reason why his mother has to keep a sharp eye on him at all times). He always did considerably well in his classes, and always got straight A's from his teachers.

But the one thing Timmy lacked in terms of his skills… was the ability to make some friends. He was quite a loner during recess and lunchtime. And he never had the courage to go out and play a game with kids his age. They would instead taunt him and call him mean nicknames. All because his mother was a _little _overprotective…

"Timmy, get down from there! I don't want you to sit on the window sill like that! What if you slip and hit your head?"

The Toad boy sighed and got off the ledge as he was told. "Okay, Mom…," he said flatly.

His mother, who goes by the name of Femi Nini T., was a 30 something year old Toad with long blond hair and fairly smooth skin. She was a little taller than most Toads within the Kingdom and she had a very slender body. She wore a green shirt and blue jeans that went down to her ankles. In her right hand was a white feather duster, while her other hand carried a straw broom, both of which she used to clean her home from top to bottom.

Femi shook her head in disappointment. "You really shouldn't be cooped up in the house all day," she said. "Why don't you go outside and play with the others?"

The little Toad sighed again. "I can't Mom! They never want to put up with me! Every time I ask if I could join them, they tell me to get lost, or push me to the ground, or call me a 'mama's boy'!"

Timmy's mother covered her mouth, as she couldn't help but chuckle at the situation. "Don't you think that you're exaggerating just a little, dear?" she laughed. "Besides, you could always play with your little sister Tutti…"

Hearing those words made Timmy groan.

"Ugh… but she's too young to play with me! She doesn't want to play any of the games I want to do… and even if she does, she never plays it right! Like that one time when we were playing tic-tac-toe, she draws all over the board and wastes the marker ink! Or the time when we were playing Old Maid, she flushed all the cards down the toilet!"

"Now don't talk like that about your sister," his mother scolded, waggling her finger at her son. "She's only 6 years old, and that's a tender age for when she'll be curious to know how the world works. So you should be more supportive for her, do you hear me?"

"Sigh… yes, Mom…"

"What's going on, Mommy? You yelling at Timmy again?" said a cute girl voice.

At the living room doorway, a Toad slightly shorter than Timmy appeared. She wore small, light-blue overalls and a pink t-shirt with a sunflower on the front. She had a pink-spotted mushroom cap that sat atop her short auburn hair, and had white shoes with bright yellow laces.

"Oh, look! There's your sister now!" Femi smiled. She turned to her daughter. "Would like to play with your big brother, Tutti?"

"I sure do!" she answered cheerfully.

"You see, Timmy? She's eager to play with you! I'm sure if you just be more understanding, you'll both have fun." She took his son by the arm and moved him and Tutti towards the front door. "Now you both play something nice and safe for a couple of hours, okay? Mommy needs to finish up her chores. And remember to come back before dinnertime!"

She closed the door behind them after lightly pushing Timmy and Tutti outside. The two Toads were just standing there for a few seconds when some of the neighbourhood kids saw them and sneered.

"Well what do you know… it's Tiny Tim! And he's brought his dorky sister here for another awesome day for us to play 'Rockface' with him," drawled a fat Sumo Bro boy.

"Yeah! Your sister will love to play 'Rockface' with us, won't she Timmy?" yelled a Monty Mole with a black eye, giving out a nasty grin.

Tutti, being the inquisitive girl she is, turned to her brother. "What's 'Rockface", Timmy?" she asked him. "Is it a fun game? How do you play?"

Timmy gulped as he watched all the neighbourhood kids pick up stones on the grass, looking ready to throw them at a certain Toad.

"Well… let's just say… there will be a lot of running involved…," he squeaked, gripping his sister's hand. "And I think that's what we should be doing right now…"

/

Meanwhile, at another part of the Mushroom Kingdom, a young woman was trying out some outfits to see what she could wear today. Her closet was full to bursting with all kinds of clothes for every occasion.

"Darn! Not this one… I haven't worn this since I was a teenager, so I'm sure this won't fit me anymore."

Valentina was trying to look her best today. She was preparing for a job interview that she hoped will go okay, considering this was her first time actually getting employed. She had been living with Mario and Luigi for the past couple of weeks, just until she could get a place of her own. As much as her loving parents were caring, even they believe that their daughter needs to be on their own at one point.

She plucked out a stylish pink dress from its hook, held it to her chest and shook her head with a sad face.

"No… this won't do either! It's too revealing! He'd be drooling on his desk if I show up like this!" she whined. She tossed the dress onto her bed where she kept the other 'rejected' clothes.

The bubbly girl let out a sigh and called out. "Luigi? Luigi, honey! Can you help me with my attire?"

The green Mario Brother walked into her room (of which was actually _his_ room, since they didn't have a spare bedroom for her). He was still wearing his green pyjamas, even though it was close to noon, and was brushing his teeth while combing his messy hair at the same time.

"Mmph?" he replied, while he had the toothbrush in his mouth.

"I said I was wondering if you could help me out with picking some clothes for my interview," Valentina said. She got out two outfits: one was a black long-sleeved polo sweater and white pants, and the other was a red tank top and tight jeans. She lifted them both beside her. "Which do you think I should go as?"

Luigi held a index finger for her to wait a minute, reached out for a cup on his dresser and spat into it to clear out the toothpaste foam. He looked at the clothes she held up.

"Hmm… I'm not sure… You look good in both of them," he wondered, while putting his finger to his lip in contemplation. "Shouldn't you not worry while on an interview, though?"

Valentina scratched her head in embarrassment. "I know… but I'm just so anxious! I really need to find a job so I can buy a place to live! Uh… not that this place isn't good, I mean," she laughed nervously. She took a deep breath and exhaled out her nose, and then sat on the bed. Luigi joined her.

"I never lived on my own before… other than when I got separated from my parents…" She twiddled her thumbs while staring at the ground. "I just never knew this was going to be so difficult. I know my mom and dad mean well… but I just wished that I could still stay with them… even though I'm too old to do so…"

She looked at Luigi with a meek smile. "I'm glad you and Mario were more than willing to bring me in. I wouldn't know what I would do if I had to live off the streets… I can't thank you enough."

Luigi chuckled. "Hey… anything for a friend. After all… you and I _are_ pretty much together, right? I wouldn't want to visit my girlfriend in a cardboard box now, would I?" he joked.

Valentina laughed. "I guess not. That would be silly." She hugged her lover tenderly around the middle. "You and Mario are really great guys… thanks again for helping me on my feet," she cutely mewed.

"No problem," Luigi replied, fondly smiling.

Valentina sighed and got off her bed. "Well… I got to get changed if I'm ever going to apply for that job. You can leave now if you want. Or… would you like to stay with me while I undress?" she purred mischievously.

Luigi blushed hard and waved his hands. "Oh no, that's alright! I'll just get out of your hair. I need to get changed myself too," he shyly addressed. The Mario Brother quickly side-stepped out of the door so to give the bouncing beauty some privacy.

Valentina giggled as she saw her boyfriend leave in an awkward way, and went back to her closet to find something that'll make her presentable.

Mario, who was in the living room the whole time, was eating a bowl of ravioli while watching the news on TV. The current topic was about the local school kids getting a new playground for recess. While he was listening to that story, he saw Luigi leaving the bedroom in a hurry. Mario asked his brother where he was running to.

Luigi remembered while slapping his forehead. "Oh yeah! I need to take care of Ms. Walsh's pipes today! She said there's a nasty clog in her basement, but I think she's exaggerating. Ugh… I need to get into a new pair of overalls…"

Mario told him that his cleaned laundry was in his room.

"Okay. Thanks Bro! Now, I'll just get out of these…" Luigi noticed that he just left his _own_ room.

And Valentina was still changing her clothes.

"Aww, nuts!" he exclaimed. He knocked on the door. "Uh… Valentina? Could you get my overalls and a new t-shirt for me, please?"

/

For the whole day, Timmy had never felt so miserable in his whole life. He was pelted with rocks to the head repeatedly, all while keeping Tutti safe by shielding her with his body, while running non-stop around the neighbourhood. When the bullies had finally stopped their cruel game and went home, Timmy had dozens of big sore bumps and lacerations all over his skull and back. He was in total agony… but that was only the tip of the iceberg when he and Tutti returned to their house.

After Femi saw the condition of her son when he appeared on the doorstep, she flipped out. The overprotective mother scolded the little Toad boy what game he and his sister was doing that caused those injuries. It didn't helped matters that Tutti unintentionally blurted out it was a game Timmy liked to play with his neighbours.

That infuriated Femi so much, she spent the next hour or so lecturing Timmy about his sister's safety and that it was unwise to think being hit with rocks would be considered an appropriate game. After she got her anger out, his mother sent him to his bedroom with no supper as punishment.

Now on top of everything, he was humiliated by his neighbours AND his own family, along with what might as well be a couple of scars for the rest of his life. He sobbed into his pillow for a good 30 minutes, feeling like he had the worst luck in the world. He had no friends, he had no caring parent who understood his pain… and he was left with a starving belly.

After he was all cried out, Timmy sat on his bed and thought about if he should either run away, and hopefully make his mom realize how much she missed him, or keep himself locked up in his bedroom for all eternity. But then he looked at his window, and saw the night stars twinkle and dance…

Of course… he could wish to the stars on Star Road about his problems! He quietly crept across his room, so to not wake up his sleeping family, and looked at the evening sky. Wiping a tear from his cheek, he bended down to his knees and held his hands together.

Now he wondered what to wish for… He could have said that he wished he was never born. He could have wished that he had no annoying and unfair family. He could have wished that all the neighbourhood kids would drop dead and be eaten by ravenous Chain Chomps…

But deep down, he knew he wasn't that cold-hearted. He loved his family, no matter how much they embarrass him. He knew that even though he dearly wanted to pay back his attackers, that violence wasn't the answer. And he was sure that his life in this World was here for a good reason and some kind of purpose, so wishing to erase his existence would achieve nothing.

So… Timmy thought of the one most pleading wish he could ask for, and he wished for it with all his might:

"_I wished that I had at least one good friend…_," he whispered to the Star Spirits above.

Over and over, he repeated the words… so that he'd make sure his plea was heard. He really wanted it badly, even give all his toys to make his wish come true. He wanted it so that he would have someone to play, someone to protect him from the bullies, and someone that can understand and comfort him when he's down.

By midnight, Timmy was all wished out and felt ready for bed. He got into his covers, fluffed up his soggy, tear-drenched pillow and dozed off with comforting ease.

/

Mario and Luigi were preparing for a spaghetti dinner that night. Mario was stirring up the pasta noodles in a big boiling pot, while his brother was taking care of the sauce, spices and garlic bread. They were just about ready to serve the food… when they heard the door open and closed. Luigi checked the hallway and saw Valentina was back from her job interview. A heavy frown was on her face.

"So… uh… how did it go?" Luigi asked hesitantly when walking towards her. Valentina didn't say anything… so the Mario Brother asked again.

"Did everything went well?" Again, she didn't answer him… but her lip quivered a little.

"Did… did you get the job?" Luigi questioned slowly. Already, he can tell something gone wrong.

Valentina couldn't hold it in any longer… and she started crying and bawling her eyes out. "_No! _I didn't get the position at all! _Whaaaahahaha!_"

Mario popped his head out of the hallway, to see what the fuss was about, and saw Luigi cradling his girlfriend in his arms to try calm her down. The green Mario Brother looked at his sibling, with sympathetic pity on his face for the bubbly girl, and shook his head to confirm Mario's suspicions.

Mario gave an "Oh…" expression, and went to the kitchen to make a large glass of soothing tea. After some time later, he came back with a heaping pot, some china cups and a big box of tissues. He set them down on the living room table in front of Valentina, of whom noticed while in her bleak tear-wrenching sobs, and she shakily picked up a cup to her lips for a sip.

"Mmmmph… T-Thanks, guys…," the bouncing beauty spoke while trembling, holding her drink close to her face to smell the aroma. "Y-You're the b-best f-friends I e-ever had… sniff… Y-You t-t-took me into your h-home with l-loving arms… and n-now… y-you're c-c-comforting me w-while I'm c-crying… I love y-you b-both s-so m-much…" She placed her cup back on the table and reached both arms to tenderly hug both Mario and Luigi. They just let her have a moment until her heart gave out.

She held them for about 10 minutes before she finally got it out of her system and let them go. Luigi broke the silence first.

"Why don't we all get some grub before we get hungry, eh?" he said to cheer her up. Valentina smiled, despite her emotional pain.

"Okay, then… I'm really excited what we'll be having tonight," she said with a little enthusiasm. She sniffed the air and smacked her lips. "It smells good too…"

At the dining room, all three individuals sat around the table while eating their large plate of spaghetti. Mario and Luigi were only on their first serving… but the bubbly girl had already wolfed down her third helping and was going back for a fourth.

"Uh… shouldn't you slow down on your intake, Valentina?" Luigi asked in an uneasy manner after she sat back down to eat again.

"No, I'm fine. I feel really hungry since I didn't pack a lunch while I was gone. Plus this is _really_ great-tasting spaghetti!" she replied. She devoured strand after strand like she was almost breathing in the pasta.

"But I think you have enough to digest right now. I mean, you already ate more than Mario eats on a daily basis in terms of food! Just look at yourself!" he exclaimed.

Valentina stopped to look at him with bewildered eyes and then at her stomach. It hadn't even dissolved her first meal yet, so it was bulged painfully outwards. She looked to be 4 or 5 months pregnant. She gasped at her throbbing belly and covered her mouth in embarrassment.

"Oh my… I've really overdone it, have I?" she quietly squealed, while hold her significant pudge in her hands. It growled loudly from her touch. "But why do I still feel hungry, though?"

"Believe me… I think you have enough," Luigi assured her, while Mario nodded in agreement. "And I think it's time we all hit the hay soon."

Valentina gave out a long yawn while stretching her arms. "Okay then… My mind is ready to blank out anyways... Will you carry me to my bed, pretty please?" she cooed, as she nuzzled her partners shoulder with her chin. Luigi chuckled at little.

"Alright, my sleeping beauty," he responded. "But just for tonight…"

He grabbed under her arms, picked up her legs and, very carefully, was now taking the bubbly girl to their bedroom, with her gut sticking out in the air. Mario watched as his little brother played Romeo, and stifled a laugh. He saw Luigi do a lot of weird things in his life, but this one almost took the cake… his #1 most strangest moment was wearing Peach's dress while they went to save her one point in their lives. Mario still had the photos of him in the frilly pink skirt tucked deep inside his closet.

/

Sunday morning came with a bit of a weak sunrise. It was that time, about 7:30am, where Luigi got up like an early bird. He slowly climbed out of bed, so to keep his girlfriend asleep in her deep slumber, and got out of the bedroom.

He prepared for breakfast with some corn flakes and a cup of orange juice. The green Mario Brother got out a box of his favourite cereal and poured into his bowl while yawning. He also took the time to prepare some food for the others while he was at it, by cracking some eggs onto a pan to fry and stuffing some bread into the toaster. He was about to pull out the milk jug, of which was surprisingly empty… when he heard someone come into the kitchen and hugged his middle.

"Good morning, sweetie," Valentina gushed. Her fluffy pink house robe rubbed against his back. She looked over his shoulder and saw the entrée of meals before her. "Aww… and you even made me breakfast? How thoughtful…"

Luigi laughed while he looked at her cute expression. "Well… some of this food is for Mario, since you know how much he eats… but I also made extra helpings over there on the table."

"Heehee… thanks a lot, honey," she giggled, while giving him a kiss on the cheek. She sat down in a chair and pulled out the Monthly Mushroom to read some articles for job listings.

"Hey, uh… you wouldn't happen to know where all the milk had gone, do you?" Luigi asked, shaking the drained milk jug.

Valentina smirked while peering her blue eyes over the newspaper at him. "Maybe it'll turn up somewhere… why don't you keep looking for it?"

The green Mario Brother looked at her with a stern, warily look. "Valentina… be truthful… did you get rid of all the milk? Just so that I would have to resort using 'yours'?"

She tried to keep a straight face, but failed to do so, as the bouncing beauty let out a giggle from her mouth. "Heeheehee… maybe," she said slyly.

Luigi groaned and shook his head. "I know you're eager to give me your breast milk since I said I liked it… but I didn't mean you should toss out all our dairy in the process. Besides, Mario doesn't eat his cereal with Peach's own bodily fluids! How am I going to explain to him where all our milk went?"

Valentina's face went from joyous to full of shame for herself. She only wanted to play a joke with Luigi in her little intimate way. But it seemed she didn't thought about the consequences of her actions on others. "I'm… I'm sorry… I didn't meant for you to be angry at me… I only wanted to surprise you…," she mumbled with guilt. Her eyes began to water with tears.

Oh great… now you've gone and done it Luigi, the Mario Brother thought. He exchanged his current expression into a sympathetic one. "Sigh… please, Valentina… don't cry…," he spoke, while going up to hold her delicate hand. She hiccupped while looking at him with sad eyes. "I'm not mad at you. But I just wanted you to know you should be more careful about pulling pranks on me, especially since you're living with my brother… You understand?"

Valentina nodded while she struggled to hold back her tears. Luigi helped by pulling out a green handkerchief from his pocket and dabbing her face to dry it up. The bubbly girl smiled.

"Thank you, honey… I feel much better now," she muttered happily.

"Glad to hear you're okay then," Luigi replied. He looked at the empty milk jug with worry. "Now… how the heck am I going to find a convenience store that's open at this time of day?"

Valentina thought about his dilemma and came up with an ingenious, yet unorthodox idea. "Well… you could let me take of that for you…"

Luigi knew where this was heading. "I appreciate the help, Valentina… but… what if Mario knows it came from you? Besides, he'll be up at any minute! When he smells food, he's here faster than you can say 'linguini'!"

The bouncing beauty grabbed the jug with a smirk. "Don't worry, he'll never know… and if he's trying to get into the kitchen, tell him you're making him something _special_, and you don't wanna ruin the surprise."

Already, Luigi could hear his brother's footsteps coming down from the hallway, so he guessed he had no choice. "Alright… but make it quick!"

He ran out of the dining room to keep Mario occupied, while Valentina took the liberty of "refilling" their supply. She opened up her robe and adjusted her bra, so that she could wedge the mouth of the jug to her perky nipple. She slowly massaged it to get her fluids going, while she moaned a bit from her fondling herself. Although she was no longer possessed by King Boo's henchmen, her breasts still had some trace of sensitivity and ripeness from her "milky" occurrences a few weeks ago.

Valentina could feel the liquids rise up from her bosom, and so got ready to squirt her contents into the milk jug. Slowly but surely, a steady stream of her milk came pouring out from her plumping right nipple and fell into the plastic container. She continued to massage herself so to keep her pace going. "Ah… that feels so good…," she quietly panted. She had the jug filled halfway when her right breast gave out from exhaustion. So the bubbly girl swapped positions and start doing the same thing with her left one this time.

"Come on, girls… give it all you got," Valentina said to her chest through clenched teeth. She had filled the jug to about three-quarters when she heard Luigi voice calling out with worry. "No wait, Mario! I told you, I have some special planned for breakfast! I know you're hungry, but just hold your horses!" Valentina checked behind her back to see if the red plumber was heading this way, while she forced herself to release what was left from her large mammaries. When she checked the container, she saw it was full to the top… and her left breast was all tuckered out from lactating. She quickly recovered herself with her pink robe, screwed the cap back on the jug and set it back on the table, just as Mario popped into the kitchen with a flustered Luigi.

"Oh no, I told you not to! Oh, Mario bro… I can explained everything! I…" The green Mario Brother stopped his jittery spluttering, as he saw his girlfriend was finished with her "delivery". Mario gave a bewildered expression while he looked at his sibling.

"Uh… ha-ha… you see… I only said those words, just so you're more anticipated for breakfast. That's what I mean when I said special," Luigi babbled awkwardly. "Okay, you can have breakfast now! Hehe!"

Mario raised his eyebrows, but didn't question his brother's weird behaviour any further. He went to get some crispy toast that was in the toaster, along with a plate of eggs and 5 stripes of bacon. He got out a cup from the drawer and sat down on the table next to Valentina. The red plumber then took the milk jug and poured it into his glass.

Luigi was sweating nervously, praying that his girlfriend's milk would pass off as dairy milk. He held his breath as he watched his brother take a sip from his cup. It seemed like nothing was out of the ordinary for the red plumber… until Mario furrowed his brow while smacking his lips from his beverage. That's it… we're busted, Luigi gulped in his mind, cringing for what will happen next…

But by some miracle… Mario shrugged it off while smiling and knowing he had his daily intake of dairy. He then proceeded to buttering his toast, while Luigi let out a big sigh of relief. The green Mario Brother looked at Valentina, who gave him a happy wink, and so he went to gather his bowl of cereal and sat down with the group for breakfast.

"So Valentina… did you find any career listings in the paper that interest you?" he asked, trying to start up a conversation while forgetting this latest mishap.

The bubbly girl checked the Monthly Mushroom and scanned through the 'Classifieds' section. "Nope, nothing so far… I really was hoping to narrow down one where I could feel at least competent of doing…"

"Here, let me help you…" Luigi got his hands on Valentina's newspaper and looked at the articles. "Hmm… ooh… ah, here's one! How about being a fashion model?"

Valentina shook her head. "No, I tried that already… the cameraman said people would be more interested in my… _you know what_… than they would be in the clothes I wore."

"Oh, I see…," the green Mario Brother said with a blush. He turned over to another page and spotted one he thought seemed reasonable. "Oh! How about this one? _'Looking for animal caretaker in the local Mushroom Kingdom Zoo'_. "

The bubbly girl laughed. "Hahaha… I may love pets with a passion, but I doubt I could handle a ravaging Chain Chomp all by myself." She sighed deeply while placing her hands in her lap. "What would be a perfect job for me would be something that doesn't require special learning experience or training… or something that is easy to do, yet I still get a decent wage… and it has to be something that won't tangle my hair in a mess."

Luigi nodded in understanding and checked the ads… it was now getting tougher and tougher to find a job with those benefits. Her simple guidelines really narrowed down what career choices she could really do well in. He thought he was going to have to break the bad news to Valentina… until eye locked on a small article with curiosity.

"Hey, hold on a sec… _'Wanted: Seeking for a child babysitter. Toad, Koopa, or humans are acceptable. No special needs necessary. Recently divorced, have two kids at ages 8 and 6. Both sweet and polite, very tidy, and not picky with meals. Already have shots and medical care up-to-date. Must be at least 16 years or older to apply. Working hours are between 4:30pm and 9:30pm, unless wishing to stay overnight. Will pay 50 coins per hour. Found on 321 Bleeker Street. Call at KL5 - 2030 or apply in person'._"

Valentina listened to every word Luigi had said, and thought about it in her mind. After 5 minutes, her eyes lit up as she smiled. "Yeah… that sounds like something I could do! And it seems I fill in all those requirements quite nicely! I think I'll call them right now!" She hopped out of her chair and went to the phone. She was about to dial the number when she hesitated to ask her boyfriend something. "What's the name of the person again?"

Luigi checked the ad once more. "Uh… it says her name is 'Femi Nini T.' on the bottom."

At once, the bubbly girl's happiness popped all too soon. She slowly set back the phone on its receiver, and placed her back against the wall with a sad look on her face. Luigi was confused of her unexpected change of behaviour.

"What's the matter? Aren't you gonna call her?" he questioned her, wondering what happened that made her depressed this time. Valentina shook her head in sorrow. "Well, why not anymore?"

She looked at him with tearful eyes. "Because… I know her… and she knows me. She thinks I'm a bad influence towards everyone I meet, including her son… and just last week, she yelled at me to get out of her office before I even shown my resume to her…" She wiped her tears with her arm. "So I'm sure I can't just baby-sit her children… I'm almost positive she'll kick my rear off her doorstep if I show my face to her…"

Valentina continued to cry in self-pity, while Luigi and Mario faced each other with worried looks. So far, things were looking bleak for the pink female Mamma. But their silence was broken as the phone rang loudly all of a sudden.

The bouncing beauty jumped in fright, her heart hammering at a mile a minute, as she stared at the machine. She delicately picked up the handle and brought it to her ear. "H-Hello?" she asked. "Who is this?

Her ears were met with a very familiar voice. "Ahhh! Is that you my dear Valentina? I didn't know you live in Mario's house now!" came the joyous sound of Professor E. Gadd. "Hehehehe… how are you, good woman?"

"Professor? Oh, hello!" Her tone became very cheerful. "I've been good! It's been a long time since we last met!"

E. Gadd chuckled. "Well, we've only parted ways a few weeks ago… Can't really blame you for missing me, though. Is young Luigi there by any chance?"

"Yep, he's right here! Why do you ask?" Valentina queried. The green Mario Brother was suddenly waving his arms and shaking his head.

"Tell him I'm not available!" he whispered urgently.

She stared at her boyfriend with a raised eyebrow. "Uh… actually, he's in the shower right now…," the bubbly girl said hesitantly. "What do you need him for, by the way?"

"Oh…," the Professor answered. "Well, when he's done… can you tell him to come to my lab for a quick bit? Or better yet… can _you_ be able to come over? I need some help testing a few inventions… it's nothing too dangerous, if that's what you're wondering. It would only take 30 minutes of your time, I promise."

Valentina saw no reason why she couldn't visit the old scientist. After all, her schedule is wide out. "Sure, I'd love to help you out! I'll be down there in a jiffy! See you, E. Gadd!" She clicked the phone back in its place and went to get properly dressed. But not before Luigi grabbed her arm to hold her back.

"Are you crazy? You can't just accept to volunteer for his experiments!" he panicked. "I mean… I know that you think E. Gadd is a genius and everything, but sometimes his inventions can go… a little too awry."

Valentina yanked out of his grip. "Relax, Luigi! I can take care of my self!" she cooed. "What are you worried about? Are you thinking he'll turn me into a monster or something?" she added with a giggle. But that didn't calm her love down.

"Maybe not… but there's no telling what could happen! The last time I agreed to help him, he made me end up with sour bread dough oozing out of my ears and nose for three days straight! That's not natural!"

She grabbed onto Luigi's shoulders and looked at him deeply with her shiny blue eyes. "Honey, it's okay… I'll be fine. I know how to handle a bad situation, so I won't keep my whole guard down. If you just tell yourself that nothing will go wrong, then it will be so." The bouncing beauty gave him a loving kiss on the cheek. "I love you a bunch, okay? I'll see you later tonight."

Valentina gave him a wink and left to get dressed, leaving the dazed Luigi on the spot. Mario got up and poked his body after he stood there for quite some time. The green Mario Brother stirred from his spell and looked at his sibling. The red plumber point at them both and then at the TV.

Luigi sighed. "Okay then… we'll watch some programs for a while. I need to clear my head, anyway…"

/

Valentina could have easily got to E. Gadd's lab in a heartbeat. But not before having a little fun, of course. After getting outside, and after carefully adjusting her usual attire, she took a long breath and slowly straightened her spine. Immediately, a pair of large, magnificent wings unfurled themselves from her back until they stretched further than her arms can reach.

She smiled to herself. "Time for this songbird to fly…"

In a powerfully thrust, she rocketed up in the air with her wings beating, leaving Mario's Pad in the dust. She climbed higher and higher into the clouds, until she could almost touch them with her fingertips. Her pink hair blew through the breeze while keeping her eyes closed. She opened them only when she was above the Mushroom Kingdom. The sight of looking at the bustling town from this high point was breathtaking.

The bubbly girl was so glad that the Professor was able to help find a way to conceal her angel wings. He place an invisible skin patch onto her that matched the curves of her back. And if at any time she wanted to soar the skies, all she need to do was release them by instinct… and vice versa for when she wanted to hide them. That way, she wouldn't need to worry about bursting through her shirt (even though it was close to bursting from her sizable chest).

She did some twists and turns, and even a few loop-de-loops, into the clouds like a real stun aviator would with their airplane. Her majestic wings expertly carved the air with pinpoint precision and swift speed. Valentina made sure she was using her tools of flight to their full potential, while the large world below her looked as small as a dollhouse. It was a wonderful, exhilarating feeling… she wished she could leave her worries like this and be free as a bird.

But eventually she'll need to come back down to earth. As her parents taught her… life's problems don't go away by themselves. Valentina swooped into a nosedive, speeding towards the Mushroom Kingdom like a Bullet Bill. And just before she hit the ground, the bouncing beauty lifted up her large wings… and came to a halt near E. Gadd's business.

She relaxed herself, causing her appendages to close up and dissolve into her back, and she ran up to the front entrance to make her appearance. She knocked twice.

There was a commotion inside the building, along with a bit of smoke seen through the window… and the door opened up to reveal an aging, stringy and tiny man, with a small white tuft of hair on his head, and warped glasses covering his beady eyes. He looked up at the woman in front of him and beamed.

"Valentina! So good of you to finally come and visit this old gentleman!" he chirped happily. "You got here awfully fast… let me guess… you flew here?"

"Sure did, Professor! And the skin patch is working like a charm too! Thank you so much for that, by the way!" Valentina cheered.

E. Gadd chuckled. "My pleasure… It's not every day humans sprout wings out of the blue. Well, come on in! I have lots of wonderful inventions to show you today!" She held the Professor's hand and was escorted into his 'humble' abode.

Most of time, E. Gadd's profession is mainly involved in the study of the supernatural, as well as the capture and storage of ghosts. But that's not to say he wasn't also knowledgeable in other branches of science. Over the years, the Professor had built a time-machine, a water dousing backpack (a.k.a FLUDD), a machine that can turn ghosts into portraits, a magic paintbrush, a talking navigational suitcase, and even opened his own coffee shop.

Everywhere Valentina looked, she could see dozens upon dozens of contraptions and scientific equipment around the place. It was strange to see these since they weren't here the last time she visited. In one corner, there was a strange robotic machine that was washing and wringing out clothes. And in another area, was a device that looked like a pair of bulky sunglasses, until Valentina put them on. She could see that they were actually X-ray vision goggles, and she was in awe as she wiggled her fingers to see her individual bones. The bubbly girl set them back into the counter and examined E. Gadd's workshop some more.

"I see you've finally got the place fixed up!" she noted.

"Yes, it wasn't too much 'damage-beyond-repair' when those ghosts got a little too rowdy here," E. Gadd remarked. He patted his ghost containment unit with a few 'THUNKS' on the metal casing. "They're all safe and sound now!"

"Yeah, I'm glad they are…" She held her bosom in her arms, as though to protect it from the spooky spectres that could possess her again. "But I'm wondering what is it you brought me here for?"

"Huh? Oh, of course! Nearly forgotten… silly me," the Professor responded with a laugh. He went over to a large machine that had tubes, vials and some fluids pouring out at a constant rate. "Behold! This is my Formulizer Additive/Mixing Unit 3000, or FAMU for short. I just got it up and running just this morning!"

"But what does it do?" Valentina asked curiously.

"Ahhh… glad you said that question, my dear," E. Gadd smiled. "This little baby can create all sorts of medicine and cures that my mind sets to… be it cough drops, anti-acid pills, or even a cure for the common cold! All you need to do is give it commands… and it'll do the rest! And just for good measure, I've also fed it instructions on a little formula I've been working on for quite a good number of years, and the FAMU got it off perfectly in a few minutes!"

"Wow… this is amazing, Professor!" the bouncing beauty exclaimed. "And you said it can cure anything? Now all those little kids wouldn't have to worry about missing school anymore because of the chicken pox!"

"Hehehe… quite so, Valentina. But that's only the beginning! Now… I want to show you something that I'm sure would be most impressive, and perhaps a big breakthrough in the history of science…"

E. Gadd adjusted a few knobs and levers on the FAMU and it whirred in response. It began churning ingredients rapidly, as it rattled back and forth from all the heavy mixing. Valentina could feel that something ominous, yet awe-inspiring was about to take place. She watched as many-colored liquids pushed though swirling glass tubes, getting stirred and heated up, and started to glow and froth with anger. It scared her a bit, but she couldn't look away. Finally, as the machine was slowing down its pace, the result was a mysterious, ultra-violet hued fluid oozing out of the tap and dripping into a beaker.

The old scientist carefully picked up the glass with his quivering hands, and he held it so that Valentina could stare at it. Her wide blue eyes were filled with wonder.

"What is that?" she breathed.

E. Gadd smiled proudly. "My dear Valentina… this… _is the fountain of youth_…"

/

(End of Part 1)


	2. Chapter 2: The Joys and Woes Of Youth

Adventurous Stories In Babysitting

By: Virtualboy2558

/

Disclaimer: Super Mario RPG is Copyrights of Nintendo, Square, and Shigeru Miyamoto. I do not own, nor profit, from any or all of the characters mentioned.

/

"Wha…w-what? I don't think I heard you right, Professor," Valentina stuttered. "Did… did you just say that _that_ is the Fountain of Youth?"

"Yep, you heard clearly, my dear!" E. Gadd chirped. The cup of purple liquid in his hands emitted a soft glow in the somewhat dark room.

"As in… that stuff can make you younger?"

"That's correct… well, sort of…," he said with uncertainty

"But… that can't be…," she denied. She was starting to wonder if Luigi was right. That the Professor has lost his marbles. "I mean… my mom used to tell me bedtime stories of people finding ways to live forever, or something similar… but she always tells me that they can't happen… it's all just fiction…"

"Yeah, my dear Valentina. That is… until now! Here… if you're that doubtful, I'll prove it to you."

As she watched him, E. Gadd walked over to a dying plant that was standing on the counter. Its browning leaves were crumbling, fragile and close to snapping off from the slightest touch. The stalk was all dried up and yellow with age. And the petals were all drooping downward, some of which were falling off as Valentina examined what was probably once a very beautiful flower.

The Professor pulled out a short wooden stool from a cupboard below, got on top of it so he can reach, and poured a generous amount of the violet fluid into the base of the flower pot. It seeped into the chalky dirt, absorbing it as though it was very thirsty, and E. Gadd and Valentina watched with curious eyes to see a wondrous miracle about to happen…

It was like watching a video playing backwards. First, the leaves began straighten and plumping up, returning to their natural mint green. Next came the stem, which perked up from its crippling demeanour, and glistened with shiny morning dew. Finally, and one by one, the flower petals rippled as they were being magically rejuvenated. The bouncing beauty went in awe as she saw vibrant colors of blue, pink, red and orange spread across their surfaces. The base of the pistil became healthy and full of life, and even the ground looked as though it had been freshly set inside the pot.

It was all over within a minute. And in place of the withering plant was now a blossoming and majestic-looking exotic flower. Valentina could only clutch her chest as she breathlessly spoke, looking totally mystified.

"Oh… oh… oh my…," she struggled to say. Her eyes were wide open. "It… it… it actually… it actually _works_!"

E. Gadd chuckled proudly. "You see, Valentina? I told you that it would be a major breakthrough in the history of science! Now our society will no longer have to worry about the effects of aging! Senior citizens can now enjoy being outside again without deteriorating health… or couples can rekindle their spark for each other! Old long-lost memories can be recovered, and we can help keep dying hospital patients alive for a little longer! We have achieved immortality! Well…" The Professor hesitated in his words again. "…_almost_, I believe."

"What… what do you mean, E. Gadd?" the bubbly girl asked. She was curious to know more.

The old scientist sheepishly scratched his head, while setting the beaker containing the revolutionary substance on the table. "You see… this youth formula is only in its prototype stage and its not exactly perfect. Yes, it does reverse a person's age, but…" He scratched his hair again. "…but its only temporary for the time being. I have yet to discover a gene that can stabilize the changes, and maintain them… but until then… the effects can only last for up to 12 hours, according to my calculations."

"So… it can keep you young… but then you'll go back to the way you were?" Valentina questioned. She thought of something that really piqued her interest. "How young can it make you, say… if you were only 5 years old? Would it make you younger and younger until you no longer…?"

E. Gadd lifted up his head. "Oh no, no, no! It doesn't work in _that_ way!" he laughed, trying to calm her concerns. "How it works… is that I can set up the youth formula so it can actually make you any age you want! So there's no need to worry about getting 'too' young…"

"Wait a minute… did you say _any_ age?" The bouncing beauty heart was racing.

"Of course!" the Professor smiled. "For example, you could be some 35 year old man with severe back pains since you were 12... and you can set yourself up to be 8 years old and run freely! Or… say you are a young teen who always wanted to go to the prom… you can take a sip and look to be a high-school graduate! And no one will be any of the wiser!"

"So…," Valentina slowly concluded. "It can make you younger AND older? And people won't recognize you the whole time?"

"Exactly!" E. Gadd agreed.

Her head was now swimming with ideas of what she could do with these possibilities. But most of all, she thought of something that she really think it could change her life around. Valentina's eyes lit up with excitement and she suddenly grabbed onto the old man by the shoulders.

"Professor, I want you to make me younger…," she stated.

Now it was E. Gadd's turn to be confused. "I think I didn't you clearly, my dear… did you say _you_ want me to make you younger?"

"Yes, that is what I'm saying…"

The Professor's eyes went wide with shock. "Goodness gracious, young lady! You're young enough as it is! Why in Star Road do you want to do such a thing?!" he exclaimed.

"Please, E. Gadd! I really need you to do this for me! Because…" Valentina turned her back on him and hugged herself tightly, so that her large bosom pushed out from her shirt. She had a hurt look on her face "…because I need it to apply for a certain job."

"A job, you say?" E. Gadd asked in bewilderment. "But… aren't you at the age where you can work now?"

"Yes, I know that… but…" She looked at him with sad, desperate eyes. "There's this woman that won't hire me, because she thinks I'm bad news, and… she needs a babysitter that can take care of her kids… but I can't go because she'll know who I am, and…" Tears were dripping down on her delicate face. "…I _really_ need this job."

She turned away from him and quietly sobbed in grief. The Professor could only stand there as he watched her cry, and his heart felt heavy with sympathy. He never heard someone that was willing to go to such great lengths just to find work. The old man knew that it could be a bad idea to use her as a test subject, since he never even experimented the youth formula on humans yet… but his curiosity got the better of him. After all, he won't know unless he tried.

E. Gadd slapped his hands in anticipation, a look of determination in his eyes, and he ran to the FAMU to make some adjustments. Valentina looked at him oddly, wondering what he was doing.

"Professor? What are you…?"

"Hold on, I'm concentrating! This is very tedious!" he responded, while fiddling with the controls. He placed a new beaker below the nozzle, pressed a random button and watched his marvellous machine go. "By adding some more hydrogen iodide, along with a little calcium citrate, reducing the amount of formaldehydes and catalysts, and with enough centrifugal motion… that should be just small enough of a reaction to not cause any harmful damage, yet still make a significant difference to alter the pituitary glands."

"Wait… so…" The bubbly girl was completely in the dark of what he just said. "…does that mean… you're going to help me?"

E. Gadd turned to look at her and smiled. "In laymen's terms… yes. I will help you to get that job by any means necessary."

Valentina jumped for joy and squeezed the tiny old man in a happy hug. "Oh, thank you! Thank you! _Thank you!_" she cheered, pressing him into her soft bosom. "This means a whole lot to me!"

The Professor chuckled while fixing his glasses, after they nearly fell off his nose from the affectionate hugging. "No problem, my dear! Now just stand back so I can make sure the formula come out right…"

She let him go, and did what he told her to do, while E. Gadd examined the gauges to see that they were at the correct pressure. A whistle blew… and some more of the miraculous mixture squirted into the glass cup until it was nearly full.

The old scientist got out a test tube, and poured some of the rich purple liquid into it, corking it before turning to Valentina. He handed both the vial and the beaker to her. "Take the small one first, and make sure you swallow it all… that should give you at least 12 hours before you revert back to your normal self… hopefully. And in case it does work… you have an extra refill from your cup. And remember…," he warned, his tone getting very serious. "…do not give this to _anyone_ else, especially to other species. I've adjusted the formula so it can supposedly handle the female human body. Do you got all that?"

Valentina nodded. "Got it. I take the vial to make myself young… and I have my cup to refill my vial," she repeated. "And I don't give this stuff to anyone but myself."

"Good. Now… if you experience any problems after consumption, come and alert me. This is a very dangerous product I'm giving to you, Valentina. I want you to guard it and keep it somewhere where it won't fall into the wrong hands," E. Gadd explained. He patted her waist in a friendly matter. "Now off with you! I'm sure you want to get that job position before its taken!"

She nodded again and smiled. "I can't thank you enough, Professor. I'll let you know how it goes! Bye!" The bubbly girl carefully ran with her stuff, so to not spill the precious fluid, before exiting E. Gadd's home. The old man giggled lightly while crossing his arms in satisfaction.

"My my… the youth in today's society sure like to rush a lot!" he exclaimed with a grin.

/

The pink woman didn't stop sprinting while on her way to Bleeker Street. Her white high-tops slapped the pavement as she hoped she wasn't too late for the babysitting job. More than anything did she need it to finally get her life back on track.

She had just reached the intersection of where she needed to be, before Valentina collapsed in exhaustion. She rested herself on a street sign, her chest heaving in and out. While she caught her breath, the bouncing beauty examined the corked test tube in her hand.

"Man… this stuff better work… or I've ran all the way here for nothing…," she panted.

Pulling out the plug, the bubbly girl looked at her body once more. She hoped her transformation wasn't going to be painful. That plant may have not been screaming in discomfort, but that's because it had no nervous system.

Inhaling deeply, Valentina brought the vial to her lips and swigged all of its contents down her throat.

She waited. And waited… Her toned belly was digesting the formula like it was any other normal drink. Strangely, it tasted like cherries in her mouth, as she stood around patiently for the effects to kick in.

"Sigh… it didn't work for me…," she muttered sadly, after waiting for 5 minutes. The bouncing beauty rubbed her stomach, feeling empty inside. "I guess that means there's nothing for it but to turn ba… Ahhhhhh! Ohhh!"

Valentina cringed as a wave of unnatural chill swept her whole body. She shivered uncontrollably while clutching herself to keep warm.

"What the…? Is it happening now? Ohhh! Oh my g… Gahhhhh! Sigh… sigh…"

Suddenly, she felt herself go from extreme coldness to a sweltering hot temperature. She sweated as something deep inside her was shifting. It wasn't excruciating at all… quite the opposite, in fact. She felt relaxed all over while her body was drenched in her sweat. The bubbly girl's heart, however, was beating like crazy. It threatened to pop as it hammered at an inhuman pace, moving so fast and so loudly that she could hear it as one continuous sound.

That's when Valentina noticed that she was starting to change…

Her blue skirt was about to fall off as her hips began to shorten. Her shoulders also lost some of its width, but became very sturdy too. Her arms and fingers became more sinewy, like that of a pixie, and her pink skin got tighter and shinier. Her chest shrank significantly, but still remained perky as they hovered down to a C-cup. Valentina felt her shoes getting loose as her feet became smaller and more slender. Her legs trimmed down, losing only a quarter of its muscle mass, and looked somewhat awkward and knobbly.

It was all over after two minutes, and the bubbly girl was in awe of herself while she checked her new body. If anyone had guessed, she would have looked to be 16 years old.

"Holy moley! I… I… I can see my feet again! Gasp!" She clasped a hand to her mouth, after realizing her thinner windpipe had made her voice a little more squeaky and high pitched, much like she sounded when she was a teenager. While still covering her lips, she prodded her small breasts with her other hand. She let out a sigh of disappointment.

"Aww… that sucks… they don't even jiggle." She placed her hands to her hips and smiled meekly. "Well, at least I still have a good figure. I look fit enough to take on the entire gymnastics team!" She lifted up one slender leg, while grabbing onto her thigh, and her foot touched the side of her head while keep her limbs straight. "Wow, am I ever flexible too! Heehee… this is very neat! But I wonder what my face looks like though…"

She set both feet back on the ground, and she walked close to a puddle of water on the side of the road. She peered at her reflection.

"Whoa… I'm… I'm pretty…," Valentina whispered.

Her face didn't differ too much from her adult form. Her nose was a small cute nub, just placed perfectly above her soft, smooth lips. Her blue eyes though… were a little larger now. They now look more adorable and innocent than ever. Her cheekbones were elegantly thin, beautifully sculpted to fit her pink complexion. Her hair was the only thing that remained unchanged. The bouncing beauty almost didn't recognized herself for a second… but she was sure that anyone else won't even know who she is if they glanced her way.

She grinned with enthusiasm. "Yep. Femi isn't going to know a thing! Thanks, E. Gadd!" the bubbly girl shouted, even thought the Professor was blocks away from her. She quickly grabbed onto her skirt after it momentarily fell off, just exposing her dainty panties. She blushed heavily.

"Oh man… I really need to get changed! My grown-up clothes don't fit me anymore!" She dug into the pockets of her loose skirt and pulled out some tight, stretchy clothing. "Hehehe, but good thing I pack some extras just in case! A girl has got to prepare for anything!"

She went behind a neighbour's fence to get changed. About 5 minutes later, Valentina came back out, ready in her new clothes _and_ identity. She still wore a heart decal white shirt, flowing blue skirt and white shoes… but they now properly fit her somewhat scrawny frame. The bouncing beauty noticed one thing different though… the bottom of her shirt now covered her belly button.

She rested her hands on her waist. "Huh… so that's how it's supposed to cover me? Weird…" she wondered. "Oh well… no need to worry about that now. I got more important things to do!"

Adjusting her shirt once more, Valentina took a breath and started jogging across Bleeker Street for house 321.

As soon as she got to the front door, the bubbly girl was a little anxious. She wasn't really sure how well her disguise was, or if Femi won't try to pry her open like a clam. After all, there aren't many girls who have pink as their natural hair color. She could always lie and say she dyed it.

She knocked a few times and waited. Okay, now… the moment of truth, she thought. Please let her not recognize me… please let her not recognize me…

The door opened. But Valentina saw no one there. At least… not from _her_ perspective…

"Hello? Can I help you?"

Valentina looked down, and saw a Toad boy with a purple-spotted cap and blue-striped shirt. She knew him right away, totally surprised that he lives here, but said nothing about it.

"Uh… I'm here for the babysitting job? Is your mom around?" she asked.

Timmy flushed red. "Uh, I think you have the wrong house, stranger. We don't need a babysitter. We can take care of ourselves," he replied quickly. Apparently, his eyes were trying to check behind him without moving his head… as though somebody could be watching him. "Well, you best be off your way. So take care and all that jazz. See ya! Bye!"

"_Timmy! _That's not nice to treat our guest!" Femi scolded him. She came out off nowhere, and yanked the little hooligan into her home. The Toad mother blushed in embarrassment to Valentina. "I'm really sorry. He's being a tad difficult this afternoon. So you called for my ad, miss… uh, what's your name?"

"I'm Val… uh… Val… Val-E… Valley! I'm Tiffany Valley!" Whew… what a way to think on her feet. "Uh, yes. Of course I did. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here!" the bouncing beauty laughed.

My gosh, she thought… She looked at me and only called me miss! My disguise is working!

"I thank you for coming here on such short notice, Miss Valley," Femi smiled. She guided Valentina inside the house as they talked. "Many of our applicants were fooled into thinking they were at the wrong address, as you saw with my son earlier. I hope you can forgive him. Timmy has been a little 'withdrawn' to new people since his father and I divorced not too long ago."

"Oh, that's okay. I'm sure he's a sweet boy," Valentina spoke politely. She hid a smirk. Yep, this is _his_ place alright.

"I just got a call that I'm needed at the office, so I can't stay long to show you everything," the Toad mother explained. "Could you be able to stay here for a few hours? I'm sure you might be busy and all, if it's too much trouble…"

"Oh no! No trouble at all!" the bouncing beauty replied, shaking her head. "My schedule is wide open! I could even stay here to make dinner if you think it'll be a late night."

Femi clasped her hands in glee. "Really, you'd do that? That'll makes things much easier for me when I come back! Are you good in making healthy meals?"

Valentina nodded. "Be it finger food or something zesty, I'm an excellent cook in all kinds of cuisine."

"Perfect! Now all you need to know is through this list…" Femi handed a long piece of paper to the bubbly girl, and she read it through.

"The kids need to play at least 4 hours of daily activities. Dinner is usually around 5pm. Timmy and Tutti aren't allowed to watch TV during that time. Make sure they also eat everything on their plates. By 7pm, make sure to have them indoors. I don't want them playing too late tonight. Around 8pm, that's when they have their bath. Timmy can bathe by himself, but Tutti needs help scrubbing some spots on her back. They have to be in bed by 9pm, so make sure to keep them quiet. If one of them gets scared, you can choose to stay with them until they go to sleep or put on a lullaby. And… I think that's everything."

Geez… this woman likes to be thorough with every detail, Valentina wondered in her mind. I hope I can remember everything…

"So around 10, you can leave the house if you wish," Femi continued. "You're also welcome to spend the night here, and we have an extra bedroom upstairs. Is there anything you require, Miss Valley?"

The bouncing beauty gave a simple smile. "No, I'm alright. I'll do just fine here."

"Alright then," the Toad mother responded cheerfully. "I'll just be on my way now. Oh! And if you have any problems… just call me on this number." She got out a small sheet and pen, scrawled quickly and handed the paper to Valentina. "I'll try to come home as soon as I can."

Femi grabbed her purse and was about to leave the front door when Timmy and Tutti came up to her. She bended down to give both of them a hug.

"Be good my sweethearts! I want you on your best behaviours!"

Tutti looked a little heartbroken. "You'll come back, will you?" the small Toad girl worried.

"Haha… yes, Tutti. Mommy will be back before you know it," Femi said soothingly to her daughter.

Timmy, however, was more desperate for his mom to stay. "Mom, I told you! We don't need a babysitter! We're not even babies, so why should we have one?"

"Timmy, please… not this again."

"But what if she's mean to us? She could just do whatever she wants, while we get locked in our rooms for the whole night! Babysitters always do that sort of thing when the parents are away!"

"Timmy… listen to me," she firmly told her son. She held onto his shoulders to make her point. "I don't want to hear you causing trouble for the rest of the day. I'm only going for a few hours, so you have nothing to worry. Just have fun and be nice to Miss Valley. Who knows… you may even get to like her if you ask more about her," she added with a smile.

"But… but…," Timmy struggled to say.

"No buts now. I don't want any fuss about how bad you assume she is. Valley is here to watch over you while I'm gone… and that's final. End of story."

With that said, Femi got up, opened the door and walked outside her house. Timmy could only watch helplessly as her mom got to her car and drove off, leaving them all alone… with this strange pink girl.

"Come on, Timmy! Let's introduce ourselves to the new babysitter!" Tutti exclaimed happily.

The Toad boy sighed with grief. "Fine…" was his reply. He slowly went back inside the house, closing the door on his way in.

Valentina was reading the list that Femi gave her when Tutti and Timmy walked up to her. The bouncing beauty gave an "Oh…" of surprise and turned her attention to them, trying to look as friendly as possible while clasping her hands behind her back.

"Hi, Miss Valley! My name is Tutti Fru T.! But you can call me Toot, because that's what Mom calls me sometimes," the Toad girl giggled.

"Nice to meet you, Tutti!" Valentina said while smiling. She lightly patted Tutti on the head, which excited her with more giggles. "And who is this young fella next to you?"

"Go on, Timmy! Tell her who you are!" the little Toad sister urged on.

Timmy sighed again. He might as well get it over with… before his freedom gets taken from him. "Hello… My name is Timmy Ice T.. Welcome to our home…," he responded flatly.

"Aww… you're so cute-looking, Timmy! I can just squeeze you all day!" Valentina pulled in the Toad boy for one of her famous hugs. Timmy tried to wrestle out of her grip, but she proved too strong for him. Not to mention she was 4 times bigger than he was. She let go of him after some time, and Timmy gasped for breath. A bewildered look crossed his face.

There's something funny going on, the Toad boy thought… Either I'm jumping to conclusions… or this girl's hug feels familiar…

"So what are we going to do for fun, Miss Valley?" Tutti asked. She was clearly excited of what game they'll play.

Valentina thought very hard. She snapped her fingers. "Why don't we play an outdoor game I used to do when I was your age? I think you'll enjoy it," she answered, while giving a sly wink to Tutti. "Timmy can even join in too!"

The Toad boy suddenly looked nervous for some reason. "Uhh… no th-thanks! You c-can play without me!"

His sister had put on a sad face. "Aw, come on Timmy! Don't be a stick in the mud! Let's go outside and play!"

"No, I really can't! Umm… I have homework I need to catch up on!" Timmy lied. "It'll take all day to finish up!"

"On a Sunday, though? Why do you have homework for? It's a beautiful day out!" Valentina responded curiously. "If it's Math, I could help you get it done quicker…"

"Nope! No need for that! It's personal anyways, so I have to do it on my own. I'll be in my room! Call me for dinner!" Before the bubbly girl can question him further, Timmy ran up the stairs in a swift rush to his bedroom, leaving the two confused females all by themselves.

"Okay… I guess that means we'll just play with each other then!" Valentina beamed to Tutti.

She and the Toad girl happily walked out of the house and began their game. Not too long afterwards, Timmy peered through his tiny window, watching the two having a blast on the front lawn. His heart felt heavy with unhappiness.

"Oh… why am I such a coward?" he moaned to himself, covering his face in shame.

/

In no time at all, it was 5 o'clock in the evening. And Femi was still not back from the office. So everyone was at the dinner table, eating the meal Valentina had made. The bouncing beauty may have stretched the truth a bit when she said she was an expert cook, but she was still decent nonetheless. She whipped up a simple recipe her mother once made: a fruit salad mixed with carrots and glazed with honey. So far, they all ate and enjoyed the strange healthy concoction without complaint.

"Mmm… This is yummy, Miss Valley!" Tutti complimented, taking bite after bite of her portion.

Valentina giggled while blushing. "Thanks very much, Tutti! Glad you like my cooking! And you don't have to call me Miss all the time… just Valley will do."

"Ok. You're welcome, Valley!"

The only one who was not talking was Timmy. He ate his meal in silence, with his head facing down, so that he didn't looked at either Tutti or Valentina. The bouncing beauty had a small pang of concern for the little Toad boy, so she tried to get him to open up a little.

"So… how well do you think you did in your homework, Timmy?" she asked in interest.

"Okay, I guess…," he replied dully.

Undeterred, the bubbly girl kept trying to coax him from his sad demeanour. "Did you get it all done?"

"Yes, I did…"

Now she was really worried about him. Valentina had met the Toad boy on many "coincidental" occasions during her travels. And to her, he always looked a bit eager to see her or wanting to please her. And despite the embarrassing things she did to him, he never gave a second thought about them. But right now… it seems that something is troubling the poor child.

"Are you feeling alright, Timmy?" the bouncing beauty asked.

"Yes. I'm fine…," he said with little emotion. He got out of his chair, carrying his empty plate to the sink. "I'm going to get ready for bed now…"

"But… but it's not even bedtime yet, Timmy!" Tutti exclaimed. "You'll miss your favourite TV show _The Toad Ranger_, and you've never missed an epa… epa…" She struggled to say the word. "Epa-soda… Peppa-sode?"

"It's 'episode', Tutti," he corrected her. "And that's okay… I'll just watch the rerun another time… goodnight…"

Timmy shuffled his feet back upstairs, once again leaving both girls to themselves. Both had worry in their eyes, but none more so than Valentina. She got up from the table as well.

"I'll be back in a minute, Tutti. I'll go see what's wrong with your brother," she calmly told the little Toad girl. Tutti nodded and went to clean and put away her dishes too. While she did that, the bubbly girl climbed to the second floor.

It didn't take long to find his room, since his door had a sign labelled in his handwriting "Timmy's Room - Keep Out! (That means you, mom!)". She could tell that he was in there just by listening, as she heard a muffled, yet distinct cry from inside the room. Ever so quietly, the bouncing beauty opened the door a crack and peered through it.

She could see Timmy sitting on his desk, burying his face in his arms, tears falling down his eyes. And right next to him, she could see he had a picture frame lying face down. The Toad boy picked it up and looked at it. The photo had two people side-by-side. One was Timmy himself, who looked to be about 4 years old, and he had a shy smile on his tiny mug… and the one carrying him was a Toad that had a brown moustache, brown mushroom cap and purple vest. He was in delight of holding the tiny child in his hand.

The real Timmy rubbed his eyes in anguish and stifled a cough. "Oh… why did you have to leave, Dad… why?" he choked.

He sudden broke down in tears again and resumed to sobbing in his deep depression. The scene alone was enough to tug Valentina's heart strings, and she couldn't stand to see him suffer anymore. Opening the door even more, she crept into the room and sat on the Toad boy's bed.

"Is there anything I can do?" she asked.

Timmy jumped in fright from her unexpected voice. He turned around and saw his babysitter sitting down, watching him with pity and concern.

"W-Wha… what are you doing here?" he questioned her, his tone sounding a little more resentful than he actually meant to.

She shrugged, pretending she didn't know of his dilemma. "I just wanted to see if you're okay. You left in quite a hurry. You didn't even take a bath yet."

"Um… I've finished washing up before coming here…," Timmy lied.

That made Valentina laugh. "Timmy… you were only upstairs for about a minute before I came in. So how did you find the time to scrub your skin clean AND be in your room since then, huh?"

"Uhhhh… it doesn't take long for me in the tub," he answered hesitantly.

"How did you brush your teeth as well?"

"I brushed them very fast…"

"What about your pyjamas? You're still in the same clothes… so that means you either like to wear them all the time or… you never bothered to take a bath _or_ clean your teeth," she pointed out.

"STOP IT!" Timmy burst out yelling. He was beyond irritated now. "Why can't you just leave me alone?!"

Cringing a bit from his anger, Valentina tried to calmly reason with him. "I just want to know what's wrong, that's all…"

"Oh, is that all? Okay then! I'll tell you what's wrong with me!" the Toad boy shouted. He hopped out of his chair and confronted the bubbly girl. "Ever since my mom kicked my dad out, it's been one miserable moment after another! My mom smothers me, telling me everything will be fine, but that only made things worse! All the kids had been picking on me, calling me a suck-up to Mom, and making sure I was the laughingstock of the entire town! My sister humiliates and gets me blamed whenever we get into trouble! My mom never understands how I feel or care about what happens to me! I never had a friend in my entire life! And now my so-called babysitter wonders why I'm acting this way! So there you have it!" Timmy bellowed, his face glaring up at Valentina. "My own biography wrapped up in a nut shell! What a _great_ day this has been! I wished my dad never left! I wished the neighbourhood kids would crawl in a sewer and choke to death! I wish I was never born! And most of all… I wish you get out of our house and never come BACK!"

Timmy huffed and puffed in his rage, wanting to get it out all the angry thoughts that were bottled up deep inside of him. But before he could lash out more, he saw Valentina cover her face and started to cry.

The Toad boy looked away from her grumpily, not wanting to be swayed by her sadness. But he couldn't been able to stay that way for long. His expression changed from bitterness to shame upon himself. He sagged his shoulders. "Sigh… what have I done?" he thought.

While glancing at her, Timmy timidly walked back to the distraught girl lying face down on his bed. He jumped up and scooted next her, trying to think of an apology. But he couldn't come up with one. So all he could do was pat her back, so that it would at least let her know he was sorry. She didn't look at him, but her sobs eased up bit by bit until she was just sniffling in his pillow.

They didn't say anything for 15 awkward minutes. It was only until Valentina's breathing was nice and steady that Timmy broke the tension between them.

"I'm… I'm sorry I got mad at you…," he mumbled to her weeping form. "I know you were only here to comfort me… and I rejected your help like frog mucus. I didn't mean those nasty words I said." The Toad boy hunched himself over in guilt, unable to look at her again. "I… I hope you can forgive me…"

The bouncing beauty slowly lifted her head and gazed her puffy blue eyes at Timmy. Before the little Toad knew it, he was gathered into her arms and being cuddled. Again, he tried to get loose, but gave up while being pressed to her small, yet perky chest. She sighed happily with a smile on her face.

"Thank you, Timmy…," she spoke affectionately. "That means a lot to me… And I'm also sorry about your dad…"

"Ugh… that's okay…," he struggled to say, while he was wrapped tightly in her arms. "Can… can you loosen your grip on me a bit?"

"Oh! Sorry about that…," she meekly replied. Valentina relaxed her hold to a gentle embrace. "I just love to hug people… Heehee… it's my specialty, I suppose."

"Can I ask you something, though?"

"Sure. You can ask me anything…"

"Do I know you from somewhere?" Timmy questioned her. A nervous look in her eyes came upon her face.

"Umm… nope. If I had known you, I'd tell you," the bubbly girl fibbed.

"Oh… okay. I was just asking…," the Toad boy explained. He shyly smiled while thinking. "Because… you remind me of someone beautiful that I once met…"

"Aww… Really? What's her name?" Valentina had blushed by his kind remark.

Timmy scratched his head. "I don't know… I only remember what she looks like. She had pink hair like you do… She had very soft skin… like what you have… And had the prettiest blue eyes I ever seen… again, just like you. But I never knew her name… I wish I did, though…"

Valentina giggled a little. "Maybe you'll know someday… when you meet her again…"

"Yeah, maybe…," Timmy sighed. There was still something bothering him. "But it's not like she's my friend though… Because really… no one wants to be my friend at all… at least in this part of the country." He slumped into an unhappy mood once more. The bubbly girl felt deep sympathy for him and cuddled him a little tighter, though not enough to choke him again.

"I'll be your friend then…"

"Huh? W-What did you say?" Timmy asked in confusion.

Valentina looked tenderly down upon him. "I said I'll be your friend," she whispered. "And… if you ever feel alone… I'll come down to visit you, and we can talk about whatever's on your mind."

Timmy was dumbfounded. "But… but you're my babysitter. I can't make friends with a babysitter."

"I'm not just a babysitter, you know," she said soothingly. "I'm also someone who cares a lot about you. And that's what friends do. They care for the people they like, not because they think they're cool or have some fun toys to play."

"Wow… I never thought of that," he wondered. "And… and did you say you _like_ me?"

Valentina smiled. "Of course I like you. You're a sweet, caring boy… and I'd like to get to know you more."

"R-Really?"

"Yes, I do."

Timmy's face curled up into a sheepish grin and gave her a hug of his own. The bouncing beauty chuckled and rubbed his back softly.

"Thanks, Valley…," the Toad boy spoke.

"No problem, kiddo," Valentina replied. She finally let go of him, but Timmy was still clutching onto her. She laughed again. "Now… how about we do something fun _before_ we go to bed? Unless you still want to stay here for the rest of the night, cuddling into my chest. It's up to you," she added with a purr.

Timmy realized what he was doing, removed himself from her and blushed heavily. "Hehe… uh, sorry about that. I guess I'll play a game with you and Tutti then."

"Alright! That's the spirit!" the bubbly girl cheered. "Come on, I'll meet you downstairs."

The two left the bedroom. Meanwhile, Tutti was in the living room moulding with some clay and making miniature figurines when she heard the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. The Toad girl abandoned what she was doing after she saw Timmy and Valentina come into the room.

"Yay! I knew you'd come to have fun, big brother!" she exclaimed. "So what will we be playing this time?"

"I don't know," Timmy said thoughtfully. He looked up at bouncing beauty curiously. "What are we gonna do, by the way?"

"Hmm… how about we play using our imagination?" Valentina suggested.

"Huh? What's 'e-ma-gin-a-shun'?" Tutti asked, spelling every syllable carefully.

"Only the most important part in your whole body, silly! You use it while at home playing with your toys… you use it while at school making arts and crafts… heck, you even use it without knowing it!" the bubbly girl explained.

"Oh… like when I was playing with my clay?" The Toad girl picked up and held out a small shape that looked like a dog.

"Exactly! With imagination, you can do _anything_ you want! And what we'll be doing…" Valentina hopped herself onto the couch. "…is pretend that we're pirates! And that this here is our ship!"

"Ahhh! Don't stand on the sofa!" Timmy panicked. "Our mom just cleaned it this morning!"

"Don't worry, Timmy! It's not like I'm wearing my shoes! Now hop on! We be plundering scallywags now!" she added in a cutthroat voice.

"Yay! Pirates!" Tutti hopped on as well, and she joined with Valentina by make-believing they were holding swords and slaying who knows who. Timmy was really hesitant, on the other hand, as didn't wanted to get into trouble by dirtying up his mother's furniture.

"I don't know about this, guys…"

"Come on now, big brother! Don't chicken out now!" Tutti squealed. She was already having fun.

"Ohh…" The Toad boy held his mushroom head, unsure of what to do.

"It's okay, Timmy. I promise you… we'll get this cleaned up before your mom comes home," Valentina assured him. After what seemed the longest time, Timmy sighed and shrugged to himself. Meh… why not, he thought. When in the Mushroom Kingdom…

He took on a smile and leapt onto the couch, making the girls cheer with happiness that he finally came out of his "Koopa" shell. Together, they all pretended that a gang of rival pirates had boarded their "ship" and attacked them well into the night.

"We be the only landlubbers of the Eight Worlds! Show no mercy, merry men!" the bubbly girl shouted.

"Take that, bad pirates! And that! And _that_!" Tutti squeaked, swaying her imaginary sword around.

"Load up the cannons! We'll blast them out of the water!" Timmy roared, laughing like a true scurvy sailor.

The Toad boy never had so fun.

/

Pretty soon it was 9 o'clock, and it was time for both Toad children to get some shuteye. After cleaning up the living room like Valentina said, and after a good wash in the bathtub, the bouncing beauty carried them to their bedrooms. She first started with Tutti, who was all tuckered out from their game.

"Heehee… that was fun, Valley. I had a great time." the Toad girl giggled, while being tucked under her blankets. She let out a small yawn.

Valentina laughed. "I'm sure you have. Now goodnight, Tutti… sleep tight… and pleasant dreams." She kissed her gently on the forehead. And no sooner said than done, Tutti was off to dreamland.

Quietly closing the Toad girl's door, the bouncing beauty went off to take care of Timmy next. To her surprise, she found him already in his bed. She smirked while placed her hands to her hips.

"All too eager for me to wrap you up, huh?"

"Nope… It's just I don't like being tucked in. It makes me too hot in the middle of the night," Timmy claimed.

"Haha… okay, then. I'll just have to settle for a hug then," Valentina chuckled. She gave the Toad boy a warming embrace before gently rubbing his head in affection. "I'm very glad you decided to have fun with us this evening."

"Yeah… I sure did," Timmy agreed. "Those neighbourhood kids would never do something like that with me. They'd would just throw rocks at me until I'm purple and blue."

"Ouch… how come you don't tell your mother about this?" she asked with concern.

"I tried to… but she thinks that _I_ actually encouraged them to do that. And that's why I don't go outside at all."

"Oh… and that's why you didn't want to play with us at first?" the bubbly girl questioned him. Timmy nodded. "My my… well… the next time I come over, I'll be sure to teach those punks not to mess with you."

"No no no! Please don't!" he suddenly pleaded. "If you try to defend me, they'll just pick on me even worse!"

"Then how will you get them to stop, then? I don't want to see you get bullied for the rest of your life, Timmy," Valentina reasoned. "Trust me… those creeps will follow you all the way to high school if you let them keep doing this to you."

"Please, Valley… I'll let you know if I need help. I just don't want to deal with it too soon." He sighed with anxiety.

"Well… okay then. If that's what you want."

"Thanks. I'm glad you understand," Timmy said, feeling all relieved. He look up at her with a smile. "I'm glad you helped me out. I would have still stay in my room had I've been a little more stubborn. You… you won't tell Mom what we did to her sofa, will you?"

"Haha… cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye if I lie," Valentina giggled. She gave him one final hug for the night. "Now off to sleep… you have a brand new day tomorrow."

The bubbly girl was just about to exit his doorway when the Toad boy spoke again. "Valley?"

"Yes, Timmy?"

He was halfway conscious from his position. "Will we get to see you again?"

She smiled fondly. "I guarantee it."

"Okay…" And Timmy rested his eyes, no longer awake.

Valentina shut the door behind her and breathed out with exhaustion. It was about time she hit the hay as well. Luigi would be expecting her to return home any minute. But while she was about to climb down the stairs, a sudden feeling of coldness washed over her, followed by intense burning all over her body.

"Urgh… ah… oh no… I… I… I think I'm going back to my older self!" she gasped.

And sure enough, she felt a tightness over her clothes as started to grow. Her shirt was straining to keep her expanding bust line from popping out, while her skirt felt like it was shrinking as her hips pushed out. She quickly but quietly ran down the remaining steps so she could get outside and flee before anyone can see her transformation.

But her heart stopped dead when she heard the sound of keys being shoved into the lock of the front door.

"Oh geez, it's Femi! I gotta get out of here!" Valentina muttered. She ran in the other direction, heading out to the back way of the house before the Toad mother knew she was still here. With her body still redeveloping, the bouncing beauty sprinted out of the backyard and into the dark night of the Mushroom Kingdom. She never dared to look back… if that would mean she'd risk Femi finding out the truth about Tiffany Valley.

/

(End of Part 2)


	3. Chapter 3: Complications Big & Small

Adventurous Stories In Babysitting

By: Virtualboy2558

/

Disclaimer: Super Mario RPG is Copyrights of Nintendo, Square, and Shigeru Miyamoto. I do not own, nor profit, from any or all of the characters mentioned.

/

It was close to 10:00pm, and Luigi had been sitting on the couch for 2 hours with an anxious expression on his face, waiting for his girlfriend to return. He was worrying about what had happened to her, even though it would be nothing of his business to question where she had been.

While he waited, the green Mario Brother resorted to occupying himself. He watched some TV, twiddled his thumbs, played solitaire, watched TV again, rested his eyes for a bit until Mario accidentally spilled some piping hot cocoa on his lap, changed his clothes, placed an ice pack on his pants to relieve the burn, made a small snack for himself, twiddled his thumbs again and read the newspaper. And none of that calmed him the slightest bit.

Mario shook his shoulders to tell his brother he was going to bed and wished him a goodnight.

"Okay Bro… see you in the morning, I suppose," Luigi mumbled.

When it was nearly 11 o'clock, the green Mario Brother gave up waiting and decided he'll just turn himself in for the night. He'll find out later just what happened to the bubbly girl.

After all, she is an independent woman, he reasonably thought. She can take care of herself…

/

Valentina wished that Luigi was here with her. After running away from Timmy's home, she hid herself beside the brick wall of a random building in the suburban Mushroom Kingdom outskirts. She was still reverting back to her adult self, and she sat patiently while her curves and womanly parts redeveloped.

By the time she had stopped growing, her clothes had became very tight and uncomfortable, and they did little to cover her modestly. Her shirt was near the tipping point of tearing apart from her overdeveloped chest, and her skirt was just barely clinging on her waist while trying to keep her "Fire Flower" from being exposed.

"Sigh… sigh… I… I guess I could take these off now…," she panted in exhaustion. "I'll just… sigh… just fly back home… sigh… No one will be able to see me while in the air…"

With that said, Valentina slipped off her ruined teenage clothes and threw them into a nearby garbage can. The bouncing beauty took a moment to catch her breath before taking the skies. She was startled when a stray and feral Shy Guy came out of nowhere and ambushed her.

"Shoo! Shoo! Leave me alone! Find some other naked girl to pick on!" Valentina barked at it.

The Shy Guy made a whimper, holding out its hands and begged for some food. Apparently, it didn't want to harm the bubbly girl. It was simply looking for something to eat. She looked at it with a bit of compassion.

"Aww… are you hungry, little fella? Here, I'll get you something to fill that stomach of yours…" She looked into one of the garbage cans and founded a broken bowl with a chip along the edge, as well as a twisted spoon. Setting the bowl up to her hefty bosom, she squirted out a generous amount of milk into it and placed the dish and utensil on the ground.

"Here you go! Dig in!"

The Shy Guy sniffed the strange "soup" before him before taking his spoon, scooping some of it up and eating it. The masked creature murmured in delight when the tasty fluids touched his tongue. He ran back to give Valentina a hug of thanks, picked up his bowl and took his business elsewhere. She giggled by its moment of affection.

"Hahaha… another good deed done by yours truly… well, now that that is settled… I'll just be on my way then," she mused. With a deep breath, the bubbly girl released her feathery wings, crouched down and blasted upwards into the air.

It was very cold night tonight, and Valentina sprouted goose bumps all over her body as she flew. But that was the least of her problems. Right now, she could only express concern over what his boyfriend Luigi would say when she comes back at such a late hour. And especially since all she was wearing right now was the skin on her back.

He'll hopefully understand, she thought. He's never the one to hold a grudge, and he never stays angry for long.

She finally reached Mario's Pad in record time, touching the ground in a three-point landing (with her feet and her head after she tripped on a stray rock). Using her wings to keep herself warm, Valentina carefully walked into the humble home and sneaked her way across the hallway. She peeked through Luigi's room to see if he was still sleeping… and to her relieve, he still was.

Quietly, she slipped herself inside the room and got under the blankets to join the green Mario Brother. Unfolding her wings, she giggled as she watched him lay his head peacefully on his pillow. The bouncing beauty crawled closer to her beloved and snuggled into his body lovingly. Luigi stirred in his sleep, mumbling incoherently and turned his head over so that he faced Valentina. His eyes momentarily opened up.

"Mama mia… please, let me have the chocolate pudding for dessert…," he muttered.

He laid perfectly still for a few seconds, until his eyes popped open in alarm.

"WHAAA! Valentina!" Luigi cried in shock. "What are you doing up so late at night? Where were you? I was worried sick about you!"

Valentina purred in affection, hoping it'll keep him calm. "I was just out, that's all… It was a nice evening, so I just took a long flight around town," she explained soothingly.

"You do realize it's past midnight, right?" he fretted. "I was frightened of what happened to you while you were gone! For I knew, you could have been mugged on the street or… uh… or kidnapped by Bowser or somebody! I couldn't help but…"

His girlfriend cut him off by putting a gentle finger to his lips. "Shh… relax, Luigi. I'm fine, okay? I'm all here in one piece, so you don't have to panic anymore." She gave him a tender kiss on the cheek and smiled. "And guess what? I finally got a job now."

Luigi perked his ears, his concern thrown out the window for now. "Huh? R-Really? That's… that's awesome!" He got himself closer and hugged her. "Congrats! I'm so proud of you!" he exclaimed with joy.

"Heehee! Thanks, honey! That means a lot to me!" she cooed.

"So… uh, what kind of work will you be doing?" Luigi curiously asked. His girlfriend giggled again, looked dearly at him and rested a soft hand on his leg, which made him blush.

"I'll tell you all about it in the morning, sweetie. Right now, let's just go to sleep." She curled an arm over him and pulled him into her squishy bosom. The Mario Brother struggled a little bit in her hold, so he could turn to her properly. They both looked at each other with a smile on their faces.

"Goodnight, Luigi."

"You too, Valentina. Sleep well."

/

Monday morning felt like any other morning of the week. The birds still chirp in their nests after sunrise. The grass still had that moist dew glazed on every yard. The Chain Chomps still barked at stray cats just to aggravate them. And the people would still eat their breakfast the same way like they always have.

But little did Valentina knew, this would be one Monday she'd never forget for the rest of her life.

The bubbly girl was eating some toast while she talked to Luigi about getting that babysitter job after all, all thanks to E. Gadd. She left out _how_ she got the job, just so she wouldn't worry him.

"But… you said that this 'Femi' person didn't like you at all. So why would she change her mind now?" he asked.

"Umm… she was really in a hurry, and I was the only applicant available, I guess," she replied. It was the half-truth anyways.

"And the kids? What do you think of them?"

Valentina sighed happily, placing her hands on her chin. "Luigi… they're the most cutest angels you'll ever meet. I tell you… I never had so much fun with children before. Reminds me back to my days when I was their age."

"So in a way… it made you feel young being with them?" Luigi remarked.

The bouncing beauty hid a smirk. "I guess you can say that, and then _some_…," she purred.

A clock chimed, saying the time is 9:30am. And at the same moment, the phone rang in the kitchen. Luigi was about to get out of his chair to pick it up, but Valentina waved her hands at him.

"I'll go get it, honey. Just finish your breakfast," she smiled.

While the Mario Brother resumed to his cornflakes, confused but simply wavering it like it was nothing, the bubbly girl went to answer the call.

"Hello? Who is it?"

"Hey, deary! How's life in the youthful world?" E. Gadd chuckled in a friendly manner.

"Oh hi, Professor!" Valentina claimed cheerfully. She carefully and shyly gazed at Luigi. "Um… just to let you know, that _thing_ you worked on actually works well!"

"Pardon, Valentina? I'm not sure I follow…"

The bouncing beauty cupped her hand to the receiver. "Luigi is in the room with me," she whispered. "I don't want him to know that I've been taking the youth formula…"

"Well… why don't you tell him? I'm sure he'd be interested to know!" E. Gadd acknowledged.

"No no… He shouldn't know anything… at least, not yet…," she muttered with a sly smile. "I… kinda want to show him when the time is right… you know, as a surprise."

"Ohh… I see. Hehehe… like to keep things romantic, eh?" the Professor laughed. "Well… I have to go for now… Got lots of inventions to take care of and what not. And again, if you find any problems with the formula, holler for me, okay? Salutations, dear Valentina!"

"You too, E. Gadd! Bye!" the bouncing beauty bubbled. She hung up the phone and went back to the table, until it rang again all too suddenly. She raised her eyebrows. "My my… a lot of people are on the lines today!" She brought the sound piece back to her ear. "Hello?"

"Hey, Valley! It's me, Timmy!" the Toad boy exclaimed.

"Oh hello! How are you doing, Timmy?"

"I'm doing okay. Urm… how come your voice sounds different today?"

Valentina gritted her teeth while she tried to come up with a simple explanation. "Uhh… I'm running a bit of a cold this morning," she lied. "It's nothing too major, though… I'll be fine."

"Oh, that's good! Because Mom says she needs you again tonight. She's going away to a convention center up in Seaside Town, so she'll be there all day! So… can you be able to watch us again?" Timmy asked. "Mom even says she'll pay extra."

Valentina beamed. "Sure! Just hang on tight, kiddo… I'll be on my way!" She hung up the phone again and rushed to her room to get her day clothes on. "Looks like duty calls, Luigi! I'll try to get back as soon as I can!"

"Well… okay then. But at least call me sometime tonight, alright? I love you!" the green Mario Brother uttered.

/

Once again, the bubbly girl chose to fly her way through the town. Her wings glided over the rooftops, casting large shadows on the ground below. She smelled the brisk air washing over her streamline body and sighed with delight. She'll never get tired of that.

As she circled around with her bird-eye view, Valentina noticed something that piqued her interest. On one of the streets, she saw a bunch of kids chasing down a smaller child. She thought that it could have been some sort of tag they're playing. But upon closer inspection, she noticed that the gang was launching pebbles and sticks in the direction of the little individual. And that the one running for his life looked a lot like…

"Timmy…," she gasped in horror.

In a swift swoop, Valentina lowered herself to the ground until she made a touchdown behind a neighbour's backyard. As she dusted herself off, the bouncing beauty can see the Timmy's assailants making jeers and nasty laughs, while the Toad boy kept running like there's no tomorrow. It looked like he wouldn't be able to sprint for much longer.

Valentina clenched her fists in anger, and she dug into her knapsack, pulling out a vial of the youth formula and some of her teenage-sized clothes. "No one messes with little kids and gets away with it," she growled. She uncorked the tube and swallowed all of the purple liquid in one gulp.

"Nyahahaha… what's the matter, short stuff? No place else to go?"

Timmy gulped as he saw the neighbourhood bullies gaining up on him. He kept pumping as fast as his little legs could take him, hoping he could somehow lose them in an alley. He turned a corner and sprinted with all his might, while dodging the projectiles that came his way. Ironic, he thought. His mother always told him that sticks and stones would break his bones…

Well… he was sure if this kept up, that statement is going to come true soon.

"Come on, mama's boy! We just wanna see ya get some stitch work done after we pummels ya!" bellowed a Monty Mole with a shiner around his eye.

"How about we see how far we can shove that stupid mushroom hat up where the sun don't shine, eh? chortled a small Pidgit, while riding top speed on his flying carpet.

"Don't worry, fellas! We got him right where we want him!" snickered the same Sumo Bro from two days ago, slowing down his pace.

Timmy whimpered while looking back and forth, noticing there was no more road left and that a giant, unclimbable wall was in his way. He gulped again as the gang of bullies were now surrounding him. The Toad boy got down on his knees and prayed.

"Please… someone help me… anybody…," he pleaded.

"Wishing ain't gonna help you, pincushion! Now…" The overweight Sumo Bro boy laughed coldly, as he yanked Timmy by the shirt. "Which do you choose to do this? The easy way or the hard way?"

"How about you let go of him first?"

The group of nasty neighbourhood kids all looked up and turned around in bewilderment. Timmy squinted his eyes to catch a glimpse of the person standing defiantly before her foes. His face lit up with surprise.

Right in front of all of them was Valentina, back in her adolescent form. And she was not pleased with the group of bullies. Her hands were upon her hips.

"Unhand the boy now… before someone gets hurt," she threatened, a steely look on her face.

"Or what?" the Monty Mole asked, apparently not frightened by her intimidating pose. "Ya gonna whip us with your training bra?"

"As a matter of fact… I am." The bubbly girl pulled out and gripped on a simple, extra brassiere like a nun chuck. "I so grew out of training bras years ago. But they make a nice weapon to deal some _pretty_ painful welts on the skin."

"You're bluffing," the Sumo Bro snorted, unimpressed.

"This is outrageously silly! A girl taking on all three of us?" chirped the Pidgit. "With a piece of lacy undergarment? Hahahaha! Now I've seen everything!"

Valentina continued to hold her fighting pose. "This is your last warning," she told them. "Let go of Timmy right now, or I'll have no choice but to put the smack down on each and every one of you."

"Oh yeah? You and what army?" the tubby Sumo tempted her.

The bouncing beauty narrowed her eyes. "Buddy… I'm pretty much a walking arsenal…"

Before any of them could react, Valentina dashed ahead with incredible speed and thwacked the Monty Mole square in the eyes with her whip-like bra. The said Monty Mole screamed and clutched his face in agony. He was already in bad shape before the trio could even blink.

"GAAAAHHH! That smartens like heck! Get her for me, Pig and Sam!" he roared, while rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Leave her to me, Mutt! I'll deal with this hussy in a flash!" the Pidgit cried.

The one called Pig gripped on his flying carpet and soared towards Valentina, manically laughing his head off. The bubbly girl flung the tip of her bra at the menacing bird, but he zipped past its crosshairs harmlessly. She tried again and again, trying to knock off Pidgit from his tiny vehicle. Pig just cackled as she missed each time.

"You'll have to do better than that!" he taunted her while perched 15 feet off the ground.

"Man… this guy's tough to hit…," she muttered under her breath. The bouncing beauty examined her hands for a moment. "I wonder…" She clenched them tightly… and soon enough, magical flames erupted at her palms. She smirked.

"Oh yeah… that's perfect," Valentina chuckled while grinning.

Focusing her magic, she guided and aimed the fireballs at Pig. The Pidgit, meanwhile, was blowing a raspberry at her, until his eyes grew wide when he saw her launch the heated missiles, and he narrowly dodged them by inches.

"Hey! Are you crazy, lady?!" Pig squawked. "You nearly singed my tail feathers off! WHOA!"

The flight-assisted bird swerved again as more scorching flames came at his direction. He took off in the air while trying to get away from the bubbly girl's fiery wrath. One fireball got too close however, and it skimmed his carpet by the edge, causing his flying rug to combust into ashes. Pig yelled as he fell to the earth and landed in a convenient street dumpster.

"Ewww! My underside is covered in trash sludge!" he whined in the depths.

All that leaves now was Sam the Sumo Bro, who bared his teeth at the frisky female. Valentina only gave him a brave, determined smile. The bulky bully pointed an angry finger at her, while he was still clinging onto Timmy like a rag doll.

"Alright, you little stinker… you may have dispatched my buddies like houseflies… but you won't be able to pull those stunts with me! Mutt was our speed and Pig was our aerial combatant…," he bragged. "Want to guess what my specialty is?"

"Having more fat than King Bowser on junk food?" the bouncing beauty laughed.

"Grrrrr… NO!" Sam shouted at her. "I can make earthquakes with my boots!"

"Because you're _very_ overweight? That would explain it!" she giggled.

The Sumo Bro's eyes flashed red while steam hissed out of his ears. "I'LL SHOW YOU OVERWEIGHT! TAKE THIS!" He violently pounded the pavement with his enormous feet.

The whole street trembled with significant vibration, locking Valentina's feet into place as she struggled to keep her balance. She swayed back and forth, while using her stringy arms to keep herself upright. Sam kept rattling the ground with a nasty grin on his face. He knew he got her now.

"Haha! Not so tough now, eh girly?!" he thundered while enjoying himself. "This keeps _all_ my victims at bay! The only way you'll get out is if you're some kind of bird!"

Valentina perked her ears. "Really…," she mused. The bubbly girl looked at the Sumo Bro with a defiant smile and stretched out her back slowly. She breathed deeply through her nose. And right on cue… her feathery wings bloomed out from her shoulders, extending out triumphantly.

Sam was dumbfounded by the shocking scene that laid before him. He no longer quaked the earth as his eyes fixated on the bouncing beauty and her majestic appendages. Again, she only smirked at him while she rose into the air.

"My my… now who's the tough one now?" she cooed, while she gazed at him like a predator. And he was her prey.

Valentina then descended down to pounce the Sumo Bro. Sam screamed as she was heading for him and ran for cover, dropping Timmy in the process. The Toad boy massaged his neck while he frighten watched his babysitter capture the tubby bully and slammed him to the road, belly-side down and his hands twisted in her grip.

"Ow ow ow! Let go of me!" Sam whimpered pathetically. "Ahhhh!"

"Not until you listen to me, tub of lard!" Valentina growled, making sure to firmly grasp his wrists without damaging him. "First things first… I want you to stop being mean to this little kid, you hear? That means no name-calling, no chases around town and no throwing stuff at him!"

"Okay! Okay! Yeeeeeaaaaa!" The Sumo Bro shrieked as the bubbly girl pinched his bare skin.

"Promise me!" she stormed.

"Alright! Alright! I promise!"

"Good! Now second thing… you are to treat him nicely from now on! And you will tell off the other kids at his school to stop picking on him! Got it?"

"I got it! I swear!" Sam sniffled. The pain she exerted on him was extremely uncomfortable. "We'll even open the door for him at recess!"

"Good!" Valentina repeated. She brought her angry face closer to his. "Because if I hear even once that you bothered or humiliated Timmy again…" Her tone became dangerously low and venomous. "…you'll be answering through me. If I find a bruise on his head, you'll get a fractured skull. If I find a scrap, you'll get a scar. And if I find him in tears because of you… you're going to pray every day for the rest of your miserable life that I don't hunt you down and beat you into a pulp…" She let go of his hands and got off him. "Now off with you and get out of my sight!"

Sam shivered under the shadow of her rage before calling out to Mutt and Pig. "Let's get outta here, guys!" And all three of them ran out of the street, never looking back and with fear etched permanently on their mugs.

The bouncing beauty relaxed her posture after her attackers were gone. She breathed heavily from the exertion she put on herself. When her heart rate returned to normal, Valentina turned around to look at Timmy with worried eyes. The Toad boy scrambled backwards, thinking that he was next to be tortured.

"It's okay, Timmy. I'm not going to harm you," she said soothingly. "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah… I think so…," he nodded shakily. He took a moment to let what he just saw sink in. "Wow… you… you saved my life, Valley!"

Valentina smiled. "Well… I wasn't going to stand idle while you were about to get the snot beaten out of you, would I?" she laughed. She held out a hand to him. "Need some help up? Timmy took her offer and she lifted him back to his feet. He dusted himself off while still gaping at her like some sort of goddess.

"That was amazing! You tackled those guys like a pro!" he spoke in awe. "And… and I never knew you could fly! Or conjure up fire from your hands! You're like some sort of superhero!"

A giggle escaped from the bubbly girl's lips. "Thank you, Timmy! I'm glad you're impressed! But as far as anyone else is concerned, I'm just your caring babysitter." She rested a delicate hand on his shoulder while looking down at him lovingly. "Now… how's about we go back to your house? I'm sure you're mom is worried where you are."

"Yeah, I know… but I don't feel like I can run anymore… my legs are all sore from that wild goose chase," the Toad boy complained, rubbing his aching feet.

"Heehee… alright. Hop into my arms then. I'll glide you back home."

Timmy gave her his wary expression again. "You won't drop me, will you?"

Valentina giggled again while hugging him securely. "Of course not, silly. I can assure you I'm a responsible flyer, so I don't let go of my passengers on purpose. Now hold on to me… we're about to take off!"

With the strong flaps from her wings, they both rose off the ground and were over the rooftops in no time. The bouncing beauty watched as Timmy's eyes grew wide with wonder. He only pictured of flying like this in his dreams… and now here he is, hovering over the town like a cloud. The Toad boy spread out his arms like an airplane, feeling euphorically thrilled.

"Ya-hoooo!" he cheered. The ride didn't last long though, as they were just nearing his house. Valentina took him around once before choosing the end of the street to land.

"I hope you don't mind if we stop here," she explained. "I don't want your mom to know that I've flown you… I'm sure she wouldn't allow it again if she saw."

"Yeah," Timmy agreed with her. "She won't even let me use the toaster without permission." He gave her a warm hug with a smile on his face. "Thanks for the ride, Valley... as well as saving my butt from those guys." The bubbly girl returned his affection with a gentle squeeze.

"You're welcome, Timmy," she happily murmured.

They walked toward the little Toad boy's home. From there, they could see Tutti playing with her dolls on the front yard and Femi cleaning her car with a sponge and a bucket of soapy water. The motherly Toad saw the pair and waved.

"Ah, Miss Valley! I appreciate you coming again!" she kindly greeted. "Were you escorting my son out of trouble, I see?"

"Oh… only a little trouble," Valentina remarked while giving a sly wink to Timmy, who shyly beamed. "He had a run-in with a couple of kids, but I straightened it out with them. And they're good friends with him now."

"Oh really? That's great news! Poor Timmy hasn't had a friend in ages!" Femi replied.

"So… does that mean my big brother won't play with me anymore?" Tutti asked with sad eyes. Timmy gave her a gentle pat on the head.

"Of course I'll still play with you, Tutti," he calmed her.

"Yay! Timmy still likes me! Timmy still likes me!" she sang.

"So I heard you're going to a convention down Seaside Town," Valentina recalled. "How long are you going to be gone for?"

Femi thought about it. "Well… it's quite a long drive there, and they said they need someone to take care of the décor, so… I might not even come back until tomorrow. You could spend the night here if you wish."

"I'd be delighted to stay here for the evening!" the bouncing beauty exclaimed. "That way, I could be closer to the kids! Perhaps me, Timmy and Tutti could even hold a little slumber party together!"

"Ooh! Slumber party? What's that, Valley?" Tutti questioned with curiosity.

"Well, Tutti… it's like being in a regular party, but you get to stay up _all night _if you want to. You could even get to eat your favourite snacks, plus you get to play lots of games too!"

"Yay! I love games!" the Toad girl cheered.

"Hahaha… I'm sure you'll all have fun while I'm gone!" the Toad mother chuckled. "I guess that means I'll be off then. Will you be needing anything, Miss Valley?" she added, just before entering her car.

"Nope! I think I have everything under control here!" Valentina responded. "Good luck on your trip, Miss Femi!"

"Alright then," she smiled. She looked at Timmy and Tutti and waved. "Bye, kids! I love you both very much!"

"Bye Mom!"

"Goodbye Mommy!"

The female Toad drove her vehicle out of the driveway. Everyone watched her go down the street until she was only a speck in the distance of the long stretch of road. The bubbly girl turned to the two Toad children.

"Let's say we go inside and I'll whip us up some sandwiches for lunch, okay?" she suggested. They both nodded.

"Some sandwiches would be nice," Timmy said, while rubbing his belly. "I haven't had a bite since I was chased… er, I mean… _running with _my new friends this morning. Hehe…" He blushed furiously for almost letting that slip past his mouth.

"Me too!" his sister agreed. "I'm so hungry and thirsty, I could… I could… uh… I could eat the whole we-fwidge-juh-nater!"

"Hahaha… it's called a 'refrigerator', Tutti," he explained while laughing. They all went inside the humble home to fix themselves a meal.

/

"Lakitu. L-A-K-I-T-U. And that landed on a double letter score space, so that comes up to 20 points."

"Uhh… Cat. C-A-T. I get 5 points for that one," Tutti said.

The two Toad kids were playing Scrabble while Valentina was preparing their sandwiches. So far, they were quiet in their little game, but Tutti was feeling aggravated… not because she wasn't doing as well as Timmy, but because her dry tongue was bothering her while she talked.

"Okay, I got a word here… Juice. J-U-I-C-E," her brother spoke, stacking the letters on the board. "That's worth 14 points."

"Oh…" Tutti smacked her lips. Her mouth felt like sandpaper. "Umm… Bird. B-I-R-D. I get 7 points now."

Timmy thought hard and saw a set of letters he could use. "Aqua. A-Q-U-A. And it landed on a triple letter score space. That's 39 points total."

"Nuh uh! That can't be a real word!" she complained, pointing an accusing finger at him. "You cheated!"

"It is so! I'll even show you!" The Toad boy pulled out the dictionary and flipped through the pages. "There, see? Aqua! Means a light blue color, as well as the Latin term for _water_!"

"Uhhh…" The need to quench her thirst was unbearable. "I got to go right now…"

Timmy quickly dropped the argument and looked at her with concern. "Do you mean you need to go potty? Well, come on… I'll take you to the bathroom."

"Not that… I want to go to the kitchen. I want something to drink," Tutti explained. Her voice sounded raspy.

"Oh, okay then. I'll wait here," he nodded.

She got up from the floor and walked out of the living room to go see her babysitter. Meanwhile, Valentina was just finishing up their meals with some crackers and celery when Tutti came into her domain.

"Oh hi, Tutti!" the bouncing beauty greeted her. "I didn't see you there! What is it you need?"

"Valley… I'm really thirsty. Could I have a cup, please?"

"Sure I can. Don't you worry," she soothed. "We'll get you 'un-parched' in no time."

But before she could do anything… BANG! A loud noise shot out from nowhere, scaring the living daylights out of anyone within hearing range. It sounded like it came from the basement, because smoke was pouring out from downstairs. Timmy groaned.

"Not the darned washing machine again!" he blurted out from the hallway. "I thought Mom had got it fixed last week with the repair man! 'Guaranteed to last'… my butt! Ugh… Valley? Can you come down here? This could be messy if we don't turn it off!"

The bubbly girl cringed as yet another BANG rang out in the air. She looked back at Tutti. "Looks like your brother needs some help. I'll be right back, okay? Don't go anywhere!"

Valentina ran out to assist the Toad boy with the malfunctioning appliance. A faint rumble could be heard that got louder and louder until a mini explosion shook the whole foundation. While they were trying to prevent their house from collapsing on itself, Tutti stood in the middle of the kitchen, wheezing silently while her dry throat struggled to suck in air.

"Ohhh… I'm so thirsty!" she whined, bouncing on her feet.

The Toad girl looked at the fridge in front of her. Inside, she could imagine a large pitcher of lemonade just waiting to be sipped from. Her eyes lit up as she smacked her lips again.

"Mmm… maybe I could get a cup myself! Valley did say I'm supposed to stay here…," she mused. "But she didn't say I should leave the kitchen!"

She went to dig out a glass from the cupboard. Then she went over to the refrigerator and pulled the door open with all her might. A chill breathed over her while she looked at its contents. She saw a pickle jar, some cans of alphabet soup, a loaf of bread, two or three bags of oranges, a cantaloupe, a box of pizza that would be dinner for tonight… and a strange glass that had some purple liquid.

Tutti eyed the beaker containing the youth formula, of which Valentina placed in the fridge for safe keeping, and she squealed in delight. "Oh boy! Grape juice, my favourite!" She pulled it out and, being very careful, she poured half of the fluid into her cup. After storing the beaker back to its place, she was now holding half an ounce of the miraculous substance in her hand. She took a whiff and had a puzzled look.

"That's funny… it smells like cherries for some reason," she wondered. "Oh well… I like cherries too!" And with that said, she brought the beverage to her lips and gulped it all down.

It splashed down her belly and fizzed a bit like soda. Yep, it was nothing like any grape juice she ever had. She went to try put away her cup in the sink, but found she was too short to get up there. And the stool she uses to reach was nowhere in sight.

But her thoughts on where she kept her little step ladder were diminished as a cold draft, much colder than the air in the refrigerator, had taken over her body. The little Toad girl quaked, wondering if she either didn't close the fridge door right or someone turned down the thermostat. But the effect didn't last long as she suddenly felt very hot, like a summer sun is beating down on her.

"Ooooh… What's going on here? I don't feel so good…," Tutti mumbled.

For some reason, her clothing felt a bit tight… like it shrunk in the wash. She felt tingly all over as her stomach began churning. The Toad girl was scared about what was happening to her. Then she gave an "Oh!" of surprise as her body started to change.

Her small tummy was lengthening while it became smooth and trimmed of her leftover baby fat. Her little arms were also stretching out, looking more and more complex in bone structure. Her legs sprouted from short and stubby-looking, to long and shapely. She was starting to even develop broad shoulders, more bendable elbows and strong kneecaps, many of these of which most Toads don't even have in today's society.

"Gah!" Tutti was shocked when her clothes tore off after becoming too small to fit her. She pulled out her shoes when her feet had gotten too large. After doing that, she stopped to look at her hands. They were way bigger than she remembered them, plus each finger was thinning up and looking more human. Another surprise hit her when she noticed that something… or make that _two_ somethings, were on her chest. Where there had only been a flat patch of skin, a pair of breasts had formed on her body. They plumped up by the minute, gaining mass until they were D-cups.

The whole time, she also noticed that she was getting taller. Inch by inch, her surroundings became less towering and more proportionate. She kept gaining height as her body grew more mature, totally astounded by the fact that she could even be taller than her own mother, but about the same size as Valentina.

It all ended just shortly after Tutti felt no more discomfort in her stomach. Her breathing was ragged and unfamiliar. While she shivered in fear of her transformation, she examined every curve on her body. It was all alien to her… and yet she was also in control of it. She fiddled with her fingers to discover their new graceful movement. She prodded her bosom, and gasped when it felt so soft and cuddly, like her teddy bear.

Tutti was startled when she heard someone coming into the kitchen. She turned her head and her gaze fell upon Timmy, who had just entered after taking care of the washing machine. There was bubbly soap detergent all over his shirt and mushroom cap.

"Okay, Valley! I'm just going to go find some screwdrivers so we can fix… that… infernal… thing…," he said, his words became softer and more quiet when he saw, at least apparently to him, a naked womanly stranger in the dining room.

"AAAHHHHHH!" The Toad boy screamed at the top of his lungs. "VALLEY! HEEEEELLLLLP! THERE'S A ROBBER WITH NO CLOTHES IN THE KITCHEN!"

"No no no! Don't panic, Timmy! It's me! Tutti! Oh!" The Toad girl hushed herself when she heard her voice. It became much deeper than she was accustomed to.

"What?! How do you know my sister's name?! You have her hostage, do you?!" he panicked, backing up to the wall when she got closer to him.

"No! It's _really_ me, big brother! You gotta believe me!"

"No way!" he denied. "If you're actually my sister, you'd know something about me!"

Tutti thought desperately to prove her brother that she was telling the truth. "Umm… uh… oh! Your middle name is Ice!"

"Big deal! Anyone could know that! Even our mailman knows!" Timmy shouted.

"You got a scrap on your left knee when you were biking down the hill near Fungi Avenue last year!

"Not good enough! A lot of kids were there that day! They picked on me until I cried!"

"Ohhh…" She was running out of ways to convince him. Then she remembered one memory. "I know! That day when your hamster Huey died! You were so sad, and I was there to hug you to make you feel better! And I said that he's now in a better place, eating food pellets and running on little wheels! And we laughed because you said Huey would be driving on a fast mo… mo… muto-si-cal!"

"It's pronounced 'motorcycle'!" the Toad boy yelled. "How many times do I have you tell you, Tutti?! GASP!" Timmy covered his mouth, realizing now who this frightening person in front of him is. And now… just by further inspection, he looked deeply at her face and saw the scared form of his sister. His eyes went all wide and glassy. "T-T-Tutti? Is… is that r-really you?"

"I… I think so," she quavered, gripping her body as though it might fall apart. "What's happened to me, Timmy?"

"I don't know! I should be asking you that question! No no, don't cry!" he stammered, before rushing up to her when tears were rolling down her eyes. He gave her a sympathetic hug, even though her waist almost towers over his head. "It's okay! Me and Valley will find a way to get you back to normal, okay? I promise."

His sister sniffled, looking down at her brother, and gave him a hug too. "Thank you, Timmy… you're the bestest big brother ever..." She giggled a little while cuddling him. "…but I guess I can't say that, since I'm bigger than you, huh? So you'd be my _little_ brother. Heehee…"

Timmy laughed with her. "Yeah… I guess that would be true," he decided.

At that point, Valentina ran into the kitchen feeling exhausted, a worried look on her face and foamy soap all over her clothes. "Timmy? Are you okay? Where's the robbers?" she panted.

"No, it's okay Valley! There's no robbers!" the Toad boy explained. "Uhh… you might find it hard to understand, but… this is Tutti. She's somehow gotten a little… _older_." He pointed to his rapidly matured sister, who just stood there openly while in the buff.

The bubbly girl raised her eyes, totally surprised… and then spotted a cup on the ground that had a bit of purple liquid left. Her heart skipped a beat or two.

"Uhhhh… what were you doing _before_ you changed, Tutti?" she asked warily. "Did you happened to drink something when I left?"

"Ummm… maybe?" The Toad girl cringed a bit. "Err… I mean… yes?"

Valentina was suddenly hit with a flashback. She could hear E. Gadd's grave voice ringing in her ears…

"_And remember… do not give this to anyone else, especially to other species. I__'__ve adjusted the formula so it can supposedly handle the female human body…"_

"Oh my…," the bouncing beauty muttered in fear. "What have I created here?"

"What was that, Valley? I didn't catch that…," Timmy wondered with confusion.

"Uhhh… I said… 'Is it hot in here?'," she lied, while fanning herself with her hand. "I think somebody has been messing with the temperature. Did you touch the thermostat, Timmy?"

"Umm… Valley? The thermostat says it's 68 degrees," he told her, while pointing to the small device on the wall. "It's fairly cold in here. So I don't know how you you'd think it's even warm."

"Oh… hahaha… well, maybe it's just me then," Valentina gulped with nervous laughter.

"So what do these do, Valley?" Tutti asked, while holding her ample breasts in her hands. "I see them a lot, but Mommy never says what they are."

Timmy flushed very brightly. He wasn't used to seeing his sister play with _herself_, especially since she is now fully-grown. "Um… I don't think you should be messing with those, Tutti. Remember what Mom told you about not touching your 'no-no'?" he reminded her, using quotes to emphasis the last word.

"Oh yeah…" The curious Toad girl bended down to look at her 'no-no'. She stared at it with puzzlement. "It's a lot fuzzier than I remembered it to be…" She prodded it… and squealed as she suddenly felt sensitivity rippling all over her body. "Ohhhh… so… so that's what it does?"

"Tutti! Don't touch your 'no-no'!" Timmy scolded at her.

"But why? It's just a part of me, right?"

"Still… it's not something you should be proud of showing off," Valentina clarified. Even being a little frisky at times herself (particularly to a certain plumber), the bubbly girl had learned self-control of not stroking her private areas. Especially when not doing it in front of little kids.

"Can't I just touch it one more time? I don't see what all the fuss is about..."

"NO TOUCHING YOUR 'NO-NO'!" Timmy and Valentina shouted in unison.

"No! You can't make me!" she cried. But before she could even lay a finger on it, both of them pulled the poor Toad girl down to the floor and held her arms. It was quite the struggle. With her unknown strength, she tried yanking herself free from both her brother and her babysitter. But they managed to keep her from escaping. She screamed and thrashed around, while her need to feel her forbidden spot was somehow escalating.

"Sorry, Tutti! But this is for your own good!" Timmy grunted, while sitting on her right hand. "Just remember we're only doing this because we love you!"

"Trust me, Toot! You're better off knowing _way _later than finding out now!" Valentina panted, trying to calm her as she grabbed her left bicep. She discovered how strong the Toad girl was, just by holding one piece of her in place. She had no idea how Timmy is not being flung off by her sister.

It was like that for 10 minutes. Afterwards, Tutti felt too tired to wrestle out of their grip and laid slump on the floor, her chest heaving up and down.

"Shh… relax now. That's a good girl…," her brother soothed, rubbing her toned belly. He looked to his babysitter. "What are we gonna do, Valley? What if Tutti stays like this forever? What would Mom say? She'd faint if she sees my sister like this!"

At that time, Valentina was hit with another vivid flashback…

"… _if you experience any problems after consumption, come and alert me…_"

The bouncing beauty gave a brave smile. "I think I know of someone who can help us. He may be a little zany, but trust me… I'm sure he'll find a way to get your sister back to the way she was."

/

(End of Part 3)


	4. Chapter 4: The Chase Is On!

Adventurous Stories In Babysitting

By: Virtualboy2558

/

Disclaimer: Super Mario RPG is Copyrights of Nintendo, Square, and Shigeru Miyamoto. I do not own, nor profit, from any or all of the characters mentioned.

/

The journey to E. Gadd's went through okay for Timmy and Valentina, albeit there were some complications before going.

First off, since Tutti was too big for her regular clothes at the moment, they had a hassle of trying to find some attire that would fit her. Even Femi's clothing was a little small for the poor Toad girl. Eventually though, the duo had found a large gray sweater and baggy pants (at least baggy for a normal Toad) that perfectly and snugly covered her frame.

Second, Timmy and Valentina had to keep a close eye on Tutti. The young girl trapped in her womanly body was constantly exploring her every curve, and her brother had to keep her from touching 'certain places' numerous times. It was like giving the keys of a space shuttle to a chimp.

"Stop prodding them!" Timmy warned, after slapping her hand for poking her breasts for the 8th time in a row.

"But they feel so squishy! Like when we ate our jell-o last weekend!"

"I don't care how squishy, soft, bouncy or pleasant they feel. Just please stop messing… No! Don't touch there!" he shouted. This time, he had to pull her away from her 'no-no' again.

He suddenly stood still… because a curly strand had floated down and rested on his nose.

"Uhh… Tutti? You have straight hair, right?"

The Toad girl slowly checked her short auburn locks. "Y-Yeah."

"Valley? What about you? Straight or curly?" he asked, his whole small body shivering.

"I have wavy hair, if that's what you mean," the bouncing beauty told him. She walked up to him. "Why do you ask? Ohh…" She saw the strand hanging between his horrified eyes. "Uh… I don't think that's hair from the _head_, Timmy…"

"_Ewwww! Get it off! Get it off!_" The Toad boy swatted it like it was a nasty, disease-ridden bug.

/

After 5 minutes, and one very thorough face scrubbing later, the three individuals make their way outside. The poor shaken Timmy was sniffling, because his nose was beet-red and burning like crazy.

"It's not that bad, Timmy," Valentina explained, trying to cheer him up. "It only grazed you. I'm sure it could happen to anyone."

"Happen to anyone?! Sure, that would be dandy!" he grumbled sarcastically. "It's common for your 6 year old sister to suddenly have a 10 year jump in her lifespan AND… have hair from her nether regions land on your face! All in one day!" He let out a sneeze as some soap bubbles came out of his nostrils. "And on top of everything, I look like I'm suffering from mild influenza! Ah… Ah… Ah-choo!"

"I'm very sorry, big brother…" Tutti shyly whimpered. She had been apologizing ever since they left the house. The Toad boy sighed, half-tired of her sister's guilt and half-tired of the fact that his sinuses were making him weary.

"It's okay, Tutti. I didn't mean to fly off the handle…" He groaned loudly as his dry button of a nose felt like cracking. "Ohhhh… Do you have an aspirin on you, Valley?"

"Nope, sorry…," the bubbly girl said.

"Ugh… figures," Timmy croaked. "I'm gonna die before we even reach Third Street…"

"Now don't be like that… we're almost there anyways!"

They finally got to Fungi Avenue of where E. Gadd's business was, and stopped just outside his doorstep. Inside, the trio could hear clanking, screeching and hissing going on. And there was a faint hint of smoke coming out of the windows. The Toad boy narrowed where his eyebrows would have been if he had any.

"You said this guy was zany, right? Exactly _how_ zany are we talking about?" he asked with suspicion.

Valentina scratched her head. "Well…"

BOOM! The glass from the windows shattered outwards as a large explosion rattled within the building, making the two Toad children (or to actually say… one Toad child and one Toad teenager) flinch from the sudden noise and shrapnel. A shout rang out from inside.

"Gazooks! That was too much ethane and gun powder! Where's a fire extinguisher when you need one?!"

"…very zany, if you ask me," the bouncing beauty laughed.

She knocked on the door and waited for a response. It was about a minute or two before the tiny old man came to answer it. When he did, the whole gang tried to stifle their giggles.

Poor E. Gadd was covered head to toe with soot. His glasses, his shoes, his lab coat… even his tongue was coated with fine ash. His hair no longer looked white, actually making him look 20 years younger. He coughed several times, trying to get the nasty powder out of his mouth, and took off his glasses to clean them.

"Eck… dear me… last time I do an experiment without protective goggles…," he muttered, rubbing his lenses. "Ahem! Uh… who is it?"

"Hi, Professor! It's me again! You should know me just by seeing me!" the bubbly girl cheerful chirped.

Setting his glasses back on his nose, E. Gadd beamed brightly. "Well, well, well! If it isn't my young friend, Val…" His mouth was quickly covered by her hand before he could finish the sentence.

"Shh! Don't say my actual name!" she quietly hissed. She checked behind her back to see the two Toads staring at her. "I don't want Femi's children to know who I am. Just call me Valley for a while."

"Uh… okay," the Professor slowly replied through her fingers. "But may I ask who's what do you want not knowing again?

"Oh, right!" She slapped her forehead. "Um… may we should do this inside so we can get everything out of the way."

The bubbly girl dragged him inside while waving her arm to signal Timmy and Tutti to come inside. The poor old man was confused as to why she was doing this to him, but didn't bothered to fight her grip. She took him in a private corner where they could talk, while the Toad boy looked around the establishment in awe. It was like no home he ever entered before.

"Okay, this place is well out of earshot…," Valentina whispered. She put down the Professor right in front of her. "Umm… so you might be wondering why I'm here."

"Quite, indeed," E. Gadd said. He looked up at her with a worried expression. "You really can't keep everything a secret, you know. It's eventually going to come back at you, one way or another."

"I know…," she nodded sadly. She watched Timmy and Tutti exploring the lab with curiosity. "I'm sure they'll find out the truth about me, and it won't be long before Femi gets wind of it and forces me to never see them again…" She sighed with sorrow. "I'll let them know eventually… I promise."

"So, what is it you came for, my dear?" the Professor asked, changing the subject to make her forget the inevitable event. "Did you find any fault with the youth formula?"

"Umm… not exactly. It works well with me." Here it comes, she thought… time to tell him of her latest screw up. "I hope you won't get mad, but… uh… I… I kinda somehow… or that I should say someone… sigh… here, I'll explain from the top…"

While Valentina told E. Gadd about the situation, the two Toads were searching the workshop of the Professor's belongings. Tutti found a bookshelf that contained dozens upon dozens of books that mainly talked about science, chemistry, biology, engineering and physics. Her eyes lighting up with interest, she picked out a random one off the shelf and checked its pages.

Timmy, on the other hand, sneezed once or twice while looking at the many inventions placed around the room. He was startled when something came out from a stack of boxes, but it only turned out to be a small friendly robot on treads.

"Care for something to drink, good sir?" it hummed. In its metal hands was a cup of some steaming hot tea.

"Uhh… no thanks, I'm fine," the Toad boy kindly refused. "I'm not a tea person…"

"My diagnostics read that you're suffering from inflammation in your nasal cavity," the robot whirred. "It would be wise to alleviate your sickness with something soothing."

Again, he waved his arms in denial. "No, really… I don't want anything to drink. Unless you have an aspirin, I appreciate the offer though…"

At this point, the android began to vibrate, the beverage in its grasp spilling violently everywhere. Timmy jumped back to avoid the mess and looked scared. He was now worried if he made it upset and it was going to attack him. But the machine stopped its rattling, and from out of a dispensing slot… a pill spat out of the chute. It grabbed the pill and handed it to the Toad boy.

"Ibuprofen 100 milligrams. Take with water and do not consume after eating. Have a nice day!" it buzzed. The robot then carted off for business elsewhere, vanishing as quickly as it came. Timmy looked at the pill, shrugged his shoulders and swallowed it whole. Almost immediately, the redness tingling on his nose went away. He sniffed through it, deeply surprised that his congestion is all gone.

"Hey… that was some pretty good medicine!" he smiled, breathing in with satisfaction. "Much better than that nasty cough syrup Mom gives me when I get sick."

The Toad boy continued on his way, feeling loads better now. He was about to examine a neat-looking vacuum when he heard Valentina and E. Gadd talking. By hiding in a pile of the Professor's used lab coats, he listened in their conversation.

"… so that pretty much sums it up," the bubbly girl concluded. "Tutti somehow got her hands on the youth formula and now… for some reason, she's became older."

"Interesting…," E. Gadd reckoned, rubbing his chin. "Well actually… it's not so surprising about the 'getting older' part. I did set the formula at a certain age, so that you drink it and it makes you young… but she drinks it, it will make her more mature. However, I did find it strange that it worked on her at all…"

"How's so, Professor?"

E. Gadd adjusted his glasses. "Alright, I'll enlighten you my dear… you see, humans and Toads may share similarities to each other, but the Toad's body structure works in a different way to other species. It is actually impossible to give human medicine to a Toad, because their immune system dissolves it before it can act. That's why there are doctors in hospitals that specialize only in Toad care and not just human care."

"I see… but what does that got to do with Tutti, or how the youth formula affected her?" Valentina asked.

"I'm getting to that part… ahem… well, you know the youth formula I gave you was designed to handle the female human body, right?" The bouncing beauty nodded. "Good. Well… there are some cases of Toads having a streak of human DNA within them, but it is currently inactive long before birth is given. However… in some fewer cases, there are Toads that manage to still have that DNA active in them, even though they'll still grow up to live like pure Toads."

The Professor pulled out a sheet of papers from his pocket and read through them. "According to my calculations to the formula I created for you… and listen carefully because this is very important… I've adjusted the mixture so that it would affect the body by about 25%. And if I'm right, this Tutti you mentioned has about 2% of human DNA in her."

"And what does that mean? I'm not book-smart like you, E. Gadd. You know that by now," the bubbly girl told him.

"Okay, I'll explain in an easier format for you. You know your multiplications, I hope?" She nodded again. "Alright… well, let's say Tutti have 2 apples. The apples will represent her DNA. And that she can carry a maximum of 100 apples. Follow me so far?"

"Uh huh," she replied.

"Well… let's say I give her 2 more apples. Then another 2, and then another 2. I keep giving her 2 apples about 25 times. Now if I had gave her that many apples, she should be carrying half her limit. In short, she now has 50% human DNA within her, meaning she's half Toad and half human…"

"But what I want to know is, Professor…," Valentina interrupted him. "…can you cure her?"

"Well… I don't think you should worry too much, my dear," E. Gadd assured. "Like I said, the formula only lasts for 12 hours."

"I know that… but I want to know if there a way to speed up that time. Because… what if Femi were to come back sooner than expected? And Tutti hasn't changed back yet?" she worried.

The Professor scratched his head. "Hmm… that _could_ be a possibility…" He looked up at her with a smile. "Tell you what… I'll whip up an invention that will nullify the effects of the youth formula, while you go off with the Toad children for something fun." Still seeing her anxiety, he held one of her hands in his own. "Relax now… there's not much we can do right now. If you really want to, you could leave a note saying you've taken them to the carnival."

She thought it over in her mind. It didn't seem like a bad idea to her… and it could be a good alibi for why she, Timmy and Tutti are gone. She nodded once more and smiled back. "Alright then. I appreciate you for understanding, E. Gadd. I was worried you'd get mad at me."

He chuckled. "Hehehe… no problem, my dear. At least you were honest with me. I think it would be the end if Bowser were to get his hands on the formula."

"I think he'd act more _childish_ than usual if he swallowed any right now," the bouncing beauty laughed.

Timmy watched the two adults walked back to find the two Toads. A lot of questions were rolling in his head.

"What the heck? A youth formula?" he quietly asked himself. "And it's as though Valley already knows what happened to my sister… Something's not right here…" A tap on his shoulder frightened him and he quickly turned his head, wondering if he had been caught. But he realized that it was only Tutti, who bended down to join him.

"Oh… you scared the daylights out of me, Tutti," the Toad boy sighed. "How long have you been standing there?"

She shrugged. "I was merely observing your rather peculiar activities while scanning through 'Old Mushroomian Biology' by Taiwan Shitake. It's quite a perplexing read, but I enjoy it."

Timmy thought that his ears and brain weren't working right, because he didn't understood a word she said. "Uh… what?" he asked.

"Though I can't say it's my field of interest I wish to pursue," the Toad girl continued, not hearing her brother's question. She put a finger to her lip in thought. "Advanced aviation seems like a bold consideration for me, but artisanal culinary arts is a skill I could apply onward in life. Perhaps I should go for professional financial services… it would assist Mom in those dreary tariffs she has to do every fortnight."

"Tutti, what the heck are you talking about? Why are you speaking this way?" Timmy questioned. He stared at her, completely in awe. She stopped musing to herself and looked at him, first with confusion and then went "Oh" after realizing something.

"I think that the amount of literature I have digested in the short period of our visitation has rapidly boosted my intelligence quotient," she explained. When her brother still looked at her oddly, she held her forehead. "It means I've gotten smarter from the books I had read on the shelf over there," she sighed in exasperation, while pointing to said location.

"Oh…" He shook his head, as something still didn't seem right. "But… but wait a minute! You're only 6 years old!"

"_Was_ 6 years old," she corrected him. "But now that my cranium has fully developed, I could now store vast amounts of information on a whim. And in turn, my limited vocabulary has been significantly increased. I guess that means I could beat you in Scrabble anytime from now on!" she added with a giggle. She hugged him fondly when he still had a dumbfounded expression on him. "Don't think I have changed too much, brother. I'm still the sweet, kind sister you've always known. You still love me, do you?"

It took a long time for Timmy to answer, but he knew she was right. Even though she was all strange to him now, he still could feel the same heartbeat from her chest for whenever he hugs her from time to time. "Yeah, I still love you," he smiled.

"Wonderful! Now…" The Toad girl pulled him up to have him sit on her shoulders. "Let's go search for Valley. I'm sure she's doing the same for us."

"Okay then. Just don't use too many big words, or I think you might break her brain," Timmy nervously laughed. He felt a little uncomfortable of being over 5 feet high off the ground, despite the flying session with his babysitter this morning.

"Not to worry, brother. I won't use any context above kindergarten reading levels. Or mention the fact that I want to explore the study of applied science and technology. You know… while I was skimming through, I've found a course that could pique your interests when you move into high school…"

"Tutti…," the Toad boy warned her.

"Okay, okay. I'll cease talking…"

They wandered around the laboratory until they found Valentina and E. Gadd in the backroom, apparently looking for them. The bubbly girl let out a sigh of relief.

"Where were you two?" she started, crossing her arms. "If you were going to play hide and seek, you should have told me so I could join in." A smirk came across her face. She knew she couldn't stay mad at them for long.

"We were just exploring, that's all," Timmy replied, after Tutti set him down to the floor. He pretended that he didn't overheard their conversation a few minutes ago. "So… have you found a way to get Tutti back to normal?"

"Not yet, my lad," E. Gadd stated. "I've yet to find a cause for your sister's… ah… 'bodily changes'." He glanced at Valentina, making sure that it was okay to give out that information. "However, if I could extract a fresh specimen of her DNA structure, I could do a complete restoration of her genetic make-up and we can revert our little adolescent back to childhood."

"Ugh… does anyone speak in plain English anymore?" the Toad boy groaned.

"Hahaha… what the Professor meant, Timmy…," the bouncing beauty chuckled. "…is that he needs to get a sample from Tutti. You know… like getting a needle shot, but instead he'll be taking a little bit of blood."

"N-N-Needle shot?" the Toad girl stuttered. Despite the extraordinary intelligence she had gained, her 6 year old instincts still kicked in. To her, the idea of sharp metal objects jabbing through her skin was more horrifying than the boogeyman in her closet.

"Yes dear," E. Gadd told her, while looking into his medicine cabinet for a sterile syringe. "It'll only be a few seconds of discomfort, but it'll be no worse than a mosquito bite…"

"No! I don't want a shot!" She began backing away after she saw the dreaded item in the old man's hand. Her eyes went wide with alarm as her whole body shivered. Her brother tried to calm her down.

"It's okay, Tutti. There's nothing to be afraid of. It's just a tiny poke and it's all over."

"NOOOOOO! GET IT AWAY FROM ME!" And before anyone could stop her, the Toad girl turned heel and ran out the front door in the blink of an eye. Timmy and Valentina went after her, hoping to catch the frightened teenage female before she got too far, but it was too late. She was gone.

"Oh, fungus!" the Toad boy blurted out.

"Language, Timmy! There's no need for that!" the bouncing beauty scolded.

"Oops… sorry." He looked up and down the street for his sister, but she was nowhere to be seen. "Ugh… that's just great! We don't even know which direction she went!"

"Why don't we check back home?" she suggested. "There could be a chance she might head there first. Come on, let's fly."

Nodding in agreement, he hopped into her arms before she released her wings and they both took off into the skies. E. Gadd puffed out from the building to chase after them, but his weak stamina failed him. He wheezed while watching the two individuals float away.

"Don't worry, Professor! We'll be back, I promise!" Valentina's distant voice called out to him.

The tiny scientist sat down on the rock-hard pavement to catch his breath. "Leaping Goombas… I need to hit the gym more often…," he panted.

/

Sprinting as fast as her long legs could carry her, Tutti kept moving unknowingly towards Downtown Mushroom Kingdom. She didn't dare to look back, if it meant she would meet her demise. She didn't know where she was actually going, but anywhere was safer than going back there to get stabbed with that needle, she thought.

Eventually, she couldn't run anymore. The Toad girl had noticed that she finally lost them… but now, she was unsure of her exact location from the foreign surroundings.

Downtown Mushroom Kingdom was a little more run-down and less friendly than any other part of the town. Instead of gravel roads, there were wooden planks that lined up the streets. To her left, Tutti saw some dingy shops and shabby taverns. A grumpy-looking male Toad was chopping up some fish with a large cleaver before lifting his head, glaring at her for a bit and resumed slicing. To her right, she could see a couple of old ship wharfs on the edge of the open ocean. There were fishermen on some of the docks, casting their lines in the hopes to attract either a large Trouter or a school of Cheep-Cheeps.

Yep. It was safe to say that she had never been in this part of the town before. But the Toad girl remained calm while walking down the street. She tried thinking of positive thoughts.

"It's alright, Tutti…," she muttered to herself. "You're a big girl now. The denizens can't harm you if you just act normal." She went back to her memories, smiling as she remembered the time when her brother brought her teddy bear to her when she was afraid during one particular thunderstorm. Or the time when they built a sand castle on the beach, and their mother had given them ice cream. Timmy had chocolate, while she had mint-flavour. And when she accidentally dropped her treat in the sand and wanted to cry, he allowed her to have some of his. Ah… those were good days, she thought happily.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" Tutti snapped back to reality when she realized she bumped into a disgruntled Sledge Bro that wore trousers and an eye patch. She timidly moved back from him.

"I'm… I'm sorry, sir," she apologized. "I didn't mean to invade your personal space…"

"Space? That's where I'm gonna send ya if ya don't beat it, kid!" he shouted. He pulled out his can of worms and chucked it at her. "Scram!"

The Toad girl scrambled for cover, narrowly avoiding his projectile. Along the way, she kept bumping into other people, who either screamed at her or threw stuff at her direction. Unable to take anymore of the terrifying citizens, she headed for an alleyway to hide. After checking that she was safe from the scary fishermen and what not, she sighed and slumped against the wall. Her heart was going at a mile a minute.

"Ohhh… I got to get out of here," she murmured, hugging her legs to comfort herself. "I got to find Timmy and Valley… even if that means I'll get that needle shot. This place isn't for me."

"It ain't better here, missy…"

Tutti jumped as she saw a scruffy Goomba crawl out of a nearby dumpster. One of its fangs was missing, its eyes were low and sunken, and it shuffled on a wooden leg. It menacingly gritted its teeth and growled in a deep voice.

"If I were you, I'd clear out within the next five seconds… you're sitting on my favourite blanket!"

The Toad girl quickly got up from her spot and dashed away from the surly creature. That does it, she thought. I'm never coming back here again. She was back on the street, but not before she fell on top of somebody in the process.

"Oh geez! I'm so sorry, mister! I didn't look where I was going! I… huh?" She stared at him and, for a vague moment, Tutti thought she ran into her brother.

The downed person was clearly a young human. He had a blue striped shirt that was almost like Timmy's, but with yellow replacing the white. He had black hair that clashed a bit with his red cap, and skinny legs that went along with his blue shorts and red shoes. And behind him, he was carrying a brown rugged knapsack. He looked to be around 12 or 13 years of age.

"Um… would you mind if you could please get off of me, miss?" the boy struggled to say.

"Oh… sorry." She lifted herself up and lend out a hand to him. "Do you need help?"

"Nah, I'm okay…" He dusted off his clothes after getting back on his feet. "Man… this place has more filth than Master Belch himself. And that's saying something!"

Tutti drawn a blank expression. "Who's Master Belch?"

"Uhh… never mind. Forget I said that." The boy looked around, as though he was trying to find something. Or someone. "Um… you wouldn't happen to see a girl and two other boys who look a bit like me, do you?"

"Not to my knowledge… But if I ever see them, I'll let you know okay, Mr… uh… I'm sorry, what was your name?" she asked.

He was a bit hesitant, but felt that he could trust this person enough to give his identity. After all… she did seem nice to him.

"I'm Ness. Ness from Onett, Eagleland."

"Nice name, Ness," she smiled. "I'm Tutti… Tutti Fru T. from the Mushroom Kingdom."

They both reached each others hands for a friendly shake, but not before a loud rattle from a nearby trashcan alerted them. The Toad girl feared it may be the one-legged Goomba again, but her guesses were thrown out the door when she saw the stout mushroom run away scared, being tightly followed by two strange black birds with glasses.

The small dumpster pretty much exploded before their very eyes. And from the contents, a bizarre-looking being appeared before them. From Tutti's perspective, it looked like a giant, shiny star with a black visor making up its face, some weird symbols stamped on its chest, its hands ending in sharp points, and its boots were square-shaped.

"Oh crud… not these guys again!" the boy yelled in panic. He dug into his pack and pulled out a wooden baseball bat with a crack on its tip. He armed it like he was getting ready for battle. "I hope you know how to fight, Tutti! Because this could get messy!"

/

_You engage with a Starman and his cohorts._

"_Uh… what's going on?" the Toad girl questioned. "Who said that? And why is the whole world in swirling colors of rainbow?"_

"_We're in a battle right now, Tutti!" Ness explained. He pointed to the creatures in front of them. "And we have to defeat them before they knock us out! Here, I'll show you!"_

_Ness attacks! 63HP of damage to the Spiteful Crow A! Spiteful Crow A became tame!_

"_Whoa! That bird just vanished? Just like that? What is this… some kind of role-playing game?"_

"_Don't think of that now! Look out, here they come!"_

_The Starman is on guard. Spiteful Crow B pecked at your eyes! 8HP of damage to Tutti!_

"_OW!" she cried. "That hurt really badly! Why I ought to…"_

_Tutti scolded at Spiteful Crow B. Spiteful Crow B's defence dropped by 10._

"_Okay… not what I would have gone for, but I guess this is just your first time, huh?" Ness remarked. "Alright, my turn…"_

_Ness tried PSI Flash Beta! The Starman couldn't stop crying. It did not affect Spiteful Crow B. _

"_Huh?! How… how did you do that?!" Tutti spluttered._

"_Did what?" the boy asked._

"_That thing you did just now!"_

"_Uh…" He was speechless for a period. "…I'll explain afterwards. GAH! Look out!" _

_The Starman shot a laser! Tutti dodged quickly!_

"_Whoa! That was too close!"_

_Spiteful Crow B has a big grin on its face. It did not affect Tutti._

"_Hey, why are these stupid enemies always trying to go for me all the time? Alright… you want a fight? I'll give you a fight!"_

_Tutti punched and kicked at the enemy! 16HP of damage to Spiteful Crow B! Spiteful Crow B became tame!_

"_Yay! I did it! That'll show you to mess with a lady!" she cheered while jumping up and down._

"_Good work, Tutti! But we're not out of the woods yet!" Ness told her. "We still have to deal with him!"_

_Ness tried PSI Rockin Beta! 98HP of damage to the Starman! Starman tried PSI Magnet! It did not work on Ness. Tutti punched and kicked at the enemy! 4HP of damage to the Starman!_

"_Ouch! What?! Only 4? That sounds lousy!" She rubbed her left foot tenderly._

"_Here… maybe this'll help." He dug into his knapsack again and handed a simple-looking slingshot to her._

"_Are you crazy?! What good would a slingshot do to a guy that can shoot vaporizing lasers at me?!" she exclaimed._

"_Trust me. Just use it."_

"_Ugh… fine…" She took the slingshot from him and equipped it in her hand. "This looks so unconventional."_

_Ness attacks! 45HP of damage to the Starman! The Starman shot a laser! The laser missed its target!_

_The Toad girl looked at her puny weapon, thinking that it would have no chance against this technological terror… but she figured anything other than her fists would be better than nothing. Besides… that enemy's hard, metal skin hurt her foot when she kicked it._

_Tutti aimed her slingshot! SSMMAASSHH! 113HP of damage to the Starman!_

"_Whoa!" Her eyes marvelled at the flimsy tool she held. "This primitive device caused THAT much pain?" She smiled greatly and looked at her foe with defiance. "Seems you're going to wake up with a stinging face in the morning!"_

_Ness tried PSI Rockin Beta! 120HP of damage to the Starman! The Starman is on guard. Tutti aimed her slingshot! 48HP of damage to the Starman!_

"_Alright, Tutti! We almost got him now! Don't give up!" Ness shouted._

"_Okay!"_

_Ness attacks! 38HP of damage to the Starman! The Starman tried PSI Fire Beta! 72HP of damage to Ness! 89HP of damage to Tutti!_

_And then… something strange took place. The Toad girl's body started to glow a bright light. She shimmered all over as a some sort of power surged through her veins. It terrified her… but at the same time, it felt familiar to her._

"_What the…? Ness? What's happening to me?"_

_She can feel her whole self vibrate uncontrollably and her lungs be filled with so much air, all before unintentionally raising her hands at the enemy, with her palms sticking out._

_Tutti tried PSI Beam Omega! SSMMAASSHH! 620HP of damage to the Starman! The Starman was defeated!_

"_I… I… I did it?" The Toad girl was shakily laughing, realizing she took out the threat all by herself. "I DID IT! Ness, did you see that? I finished it off! Hahaha!"_

_Ness was dumbstruck. He didn't even know that this female had such skill within her… but he congratulated her all the same. "That… that was amazing, Tutti! I'm proud of you!"_

"_Thanks! Hahahaha! We did it! Hooray!" _

_YOU WON!_

_Ness and Tutti gained 13204 exp each. Ness's level is now 26! Offence went up by 2! Defence went up by 2! Speed went up by 1! Guts went up by 1! Maximum HP went up by 8! Maximum PP went up by 7! _

_Tutti's level is now 7! Offence went up by 1! Defence went up by 2! Speed went up by 2! Vitality went up by 2! Oh baby! I.Q. went by 6! Sweet! Maximum HP went up by 23! That rocks! Maximum PP went up by 31!_

/

They were now back in Downtown Mushroom Kingdom. The bizarre enemies were gone and the people around them were mystified on what happened. The one-legged Goomba was peeping out of his hiding place under a crate full of fish, shivering in fright from those demonic birds.

"Wow… that was cool! I ought to do this more often!" Tutti giggled. She enjoyed the odd, yet satisfying battle she experienced.

Again, Ness was at a loss for words. He couldn't explain how someone outside his world would know powers like he had. And it wasn't anything special either. It was the exact same aura that he felt among his friends. "Could she be the one we're looking for?" he thought.

"Ness! Is that you? Where are you?"

The boy turned around. "Oh man, that must be them!" he spoke. "I thank you for helping me out, Tutti. And I was wondering if you… Tutti? Tutti?!"

The Toad girl had already left… but from in the distance, he could spot someone running just down the street at high speed, their auburn hair flailing in the breeze. They were being chased by a wooden-legged mushroom that was screaming at them.

"There you are! We were looking all over for you!" A blonde-hair girl with a pink dress and red bow on her head had met up with Ness. She was then closely followed by two other boys. One of them was also blonde, had thick glasses, a fancy green suit and black bowtie. The other had tan skin, his black hair was in a ponytail, and he wore a karate outfit with a black belt tied to his waist.

"Relax, Paula. I'm fine now," Ness stated. He was still staring off where Tutti supposedly vanished from.

"Who was that woman you were talking to?" she questioned.

"I'm not quite sure…"

"Well, she must have been of some importance," said the blonde boy, while pulling out a small device from his pocket. "I can detect a large concentration of PSI energy just lingering in the air here. And strangely… this energy signature doesn't seem like yours, Ness."

"I can feel her presence too," the other male declared. He had his eyes closed in meditation. "She seems scared… but there's no doubt she is powerful."

"Where were you guys anyway?" Ness wondered.

"Me, Jeff and Poo were just wiping out our own mess when we saw the bright blast from your area," Paula explained. She tilted her head to the side. "Is everything okay with you, Ness?"

He nodded. "Yeah… just can't help but feel we might meet her again someday…"

/

"Well… this was totally pointless," Timmy sighed.

For the last half-hour, he and Valentina had looked everywhere back in their home. They checked every nook and cranny for Tutti, even in places where they'd least expect her to be. They even looked all over on the roof of the building and down in every corner of the dark basement. But their whole search had been fruitless and an enormous waste of time.

"Maybe she hid under her bed again, probably while we weren't looking?" the bubbly girl suggested, while rooting through the kitchen cupboards.

"Nah, she's not there," the Toad boy groaned. He slumped on a chair. "Let's face it, Valley. We have not a clue of her whereabouts, it's close to dinnertime already, and Mom could be back early any minute now… and finds out that my sister has became old enough to drive her car."

Valentina perked her ears. "Wait… what did you say?"

"That my mom could be back early?"

"No. Before that…"

"We have no clue of where Tutti is?" he responded in confusion.

"Not that either. Right in the middle of what you said," she told him.

Timmy was looking at her with a raised eyebrow. "Uh… it's close to dinnertime?"

She quickly looked at the clock and let out a silent gasp. It was ten minutes to 5 o'clock. She realized that there was only about 6 hours until she would change back into her normal self. And there wasn't a lot of the youth formula left, thanks to Tutti's thirst.

What if they were to search all night for her… and she suddenly started to transform in front of Timmy? Or… like Timmy mentioned… that Femi could return without warning, and she discovers her child has gone missing? Any of those scenarios, of which played in the bouncing beauty's head, could result into her losing her job.

Not to mention I'll never be able to see those two wonderful kids again, she thought sadly.

Valentina pulled herself together, reassuring herself that she had a long way before they have to discuss that issue. And as much as she wanted to cry… she will not do so in front of Timmy. She didn't want him to worry about her. Right now, they have more important matters to deal with…

"Why did you make me repeat that, by the way?" the Toad boy asked.

"Uh… it's because it says on the list your mom gave me… that you guys are to have dinner at 5pm," she muttered. It was the half-truth… but she wasn't going to tell him all of it. Not just yet. "And that you're supposed to be inside by 7."

"Oh yeah!" he recalled. His face froze with horror. "If we don't get Tutti back before 7pm… Mom usually calls us at that time when she's at work! To see if we're inside the house like we're suppose to!"

Just then, the kitchen phone rang. Timmy gasped.

"Oh no! It's her! What do we do?! What do we do?!"

"Shhh! Relax, Timmy!" Valentina hushed him. "I'm sure we'll think of something! Just… pretend that everything is okay, alright?"

"O-Okay," he quavered.

The bubbly girl went and picked up the receiver. "Hello? Who is it?"

"Hello, Valley! Just checking up on you and the kids!" Femi's voice buzzed through. "How are they doing? Are they having supper?"

"Oh, yes! Yes they are!" she answered sweetly, while trying her best to mask her anxiety. "Tonight, we're having baked potatoes and peas. And they're pretty much eating it up!"

"That's good to know! Can I speak to Timmy for a minute? I want to know how his day went!"

"Alright, I'll pass him onto you!" She handed the Toad boy the phone. "Just stay calm, okay?" she added with a whisper to him.

He shakily nodded his head before pulling up a big fake smile and he spoke into the mouthpiece. "Hiya, Mom! How's it going? Are you having fun at the convention?"

"I sure am! I just bought a cute little sailor suit that might fit you just nicely when I get back! How are you by the way, honey? Everything well?"

"Yep! Just doing like you told me! I'm behaving in front of Valley and having a blast with Tutti!" Timmy laughed nervously.

"What's wrong with your voice, dear?" his mother asked, starting to sound worried. "Are you sure you're okay? If you want, I can come down early if you…"

"No, it's okay Mom!" he rushed. The Toad boy faked a cough a few times. "I'm just getting a little sick, that's all. Nothing a spoon of medicine and a goodnight's rest can't cure! Isn't that what you always say?"

"I guess so. Just making sure you're fine, honey." Femi remarked. She sounded convinced enough, which made him sigh quietly with relief. "How's Tutti? Can I talk to her now?"

Timmy's stomach suddenly dropped like a stone. His whole body went numb and cold, while he looked to Valentina in fear.

"What the heck do I say?" he mouthed, while covering the earpiece. "Tell her she's not here?!"

"I don't know!" she responded urgently. She quickly thought for an idea. "Umm… why not you pretend to sound like her?"

"Are you nuts?! Mom will recognize my voice!"

"You got any other way?"

They heard Femi from the other end. "Hello? Are you still there, Timmy? What's going on?"

Timmy gulped loudly, but not loud enough for his mother to hear him. He cleared his throat and spoke into the phone nice and clearly. "Yeah, I'll hand it to her. Just give me a moment." He waited for a few seconds before preparing to do his impersonation.

"Uh… hi, Mommy!" the Toad boy chirped in a higher pitch than usual. He remarkably sounded like Tutti. "How are you?"

"Hello, my little angel! Ohhh… Mommy misses you so!" she cooed. "Are you being a good girl?"

"Uh huh! I like Valley! She's so nice to us! We even played a new game today!" he gushed.

Man… he's good at imitating her, the bouncing beauty mused with a smirk.

"That's wonderful, dear! What was the game?"

"Um…" Timmy quickly thought of a game that seemed fun, safe and plausible for them to play. "…it's like tic-tac-toe… but everybody is the pieces! We got some rope and… uh… put them on the ground outside. And we move like we're playing checkers!"

"Wow… sounds like a fun way to spend your afternoon!" Femi laughed. "You'll have to give me the rules and details to me sometime when I come back! Listen, I got to go now… but I want you and your brother to know that I love you very much, okay? You're such a special little person to me…"

A sad little tear leaked out of Timmy's eyes and he went to wipe it on his sleeve. She never talked to her in that comforting tone of voice for a long time. Not since his dad had moved out. Sure… he heard her say that she loved him, but not with as much feeling as like his sister. It didn't feel good that he didn't get as much attention as Tutti… but it was more depressing that he didn't feel his mom's love like he used to. It seemed like only Valley was able to tend to him like a real mother. And she was only their babysitter.

"I… I love you too, Mommy," Timmy muttered, a little choked up in the emotion of the moment, but still speaking like Tutti. "I hope you come back soon. I feel isolated without you…"

"Iso-what, dear?"

The Toad boy cringed in his mistake. His sister would never say something like that so well-pronounced (well… at least her real 6 year old self, that is).

"Uhhh… Timmy and Valley t-taught me that word!" he stuttered. "They asked why I'm so 'isolated' when I was playing with my blocks! They mean to say I'm lonely." He sweated a bit, wondering if she'd buy it.

A long silence fell afterwards. She knows something is up, he thought with panic. We're busted, it's over...

"I'm so proud of you, honey! You're learning _even_ while I'm away!" came her mother's voice again, her tone sounded very impressed. The Toad boy let out another heavy sigh of relief. "I'm sure before I know it, you're going to be even smarter than me!"

Hehehe… well, she's not far off, he thought with a laugh while thinking of his sister's rapidly gained IQ.

"Before I leave, I just need to talk to Valley for a minute, okay? Can you hand the phone to her?"

"Sure thing, Mommy!" Timmy gave the receiver to Valentina again. She rested it between her shoulder and ear.

"So is there anything you want to know about, Miss Femi?" the bubbly girl asked.

"Oh no… nothing like that. I think you're doing a great job so far. I really appreciate it again that you did this for me," the motherly Toad replied. "There is a little hiccup that I need to address, though…"

"Oh? What would that be?" Valentina wondered.

"Um… there is call for a thunderstorm heading into Seaside Town, and everyone at the convention is starting to pack up their things, so… yeah…" Another pause for a brief moment. "…I might be coming back sooner than planned. So at the latest, I'm might expect to arrive back home some time after… oh… about 7 o'clock."

"I'm sorry… I didn't catch that…," the bouncing beauty said breathlessly. "Did… did you say… _7 o'clock?_ As in 7pm?"

"That's right! I'll be back soon enough to be able to tuck my little angels in bed tonight!" she chirped. "I'll still pay you extra for being a big help. And you can still be around until 10pm arrives. Oh my… the rain is starting to really pour now! I got to leave! See you soon! Bye!"

The line went dead. A blank stare was imprinted on Valentina's face as she slowly hung the phone back to its base. Not a word was said for about 5 minutes.

"Uh… what did she say, Valley?" Timmy timidly responded. He shook her body from her daze. But she continued to have that chilling look in her eyes.

"If we don't get Tutti back before 7 o'clock this evening…," she calmly spoke. "…your mom is going to report the entire police department for a child kidnapping."

"Wait… you… y-you mean s-she's coming here?! Right now?!"

His answer was a solemn nod from her head. And in a snap, the Toad boy's expression matched her own. He stumbled his way to a dining room chair and sat in it.

"I'm a dead man…," Timmy muttered. He looked like he was in prison with those sullen eyes. "That's all there is to it… we're done… finished… it's game over…"

After another period of intense quietness, the bubbly girl looked at him with a determined face. "No… we can't give up now… we still have time to get your sister back to her 6 year old self."

"You can do that all you want…," he mumbled dully. "It won't change the fact that I'm screwed…"

"Come on, Timmy! Snap out of it! I won't let you get into trouble, alright?" she barked firmly, while grasping his shoulders. "We can still do this! I know we can!"

But he only shrugged her hands off him. "That what I thought when I tried to keep Mom and Dad together… and they still separated anyway…" He gazed at the plain wall in front of him. "I can still hear Mom yelling at him to get out while throwing his things through the door… Tutti was bawling her eyes out… while I just stood there, unable to do anything…" His eyes leaked with steady tears. "Sniff… It was the night that I tried making dinner for them… a platter of peanut butter sandwiches and some nice roses for a romantic evening… thinking that that will make Dad stay… but I was wrong… so wrong…"

He couldn't hold it in anymore, and let all out in one mighty sob. The bouncing beauty could only watch as he was suffering from his terrible past memories. She started to cry too, but not as heavily as he was. She wrapped her arms around him and brought him close to her.

"I'm sorry, Timmy… I… I didn't mean to yell at you like that…"

"It's… it's alright, Valley…," he sniffled. "I didn't mean… to make you worry too… sniff."

Valentina sighed heavily. Her guilt had now reached its limit. She couldn't go on like this. "Timmy… I want you to know… after we find Tutti, and we get her back to normal, I'm…" Why does it hurt so much, she wondered. "…I'm going to quit being your babysitter…"

"Huh? B-But why, though?" The news was a big shock to the Toad boy. "You can't leave! I know things may look bad… b-but that can't be any reason to go! You're the b-best babysitter we ever had!"

For a brief moment, she smiled earnestly before turned to him with sorrow. "I know… but this is something I need to do… And…" She made a long pause before thinking carefully of her next words. "…I've been untruthful lately to you and your sister. I so desperately wanted this job, just so I can be able to live on my own… but it's not worth living a lie when it comes to our great friendship. Believe me… the only honest thing I can say is that I _really_ enjoyed being with you guys… and I really don't want to hurt anyone further. So I'm coming out clean to you… right here and right now…" Here it comes, she thought sadly.

"My… my name is not Tiffany Valley…" She looked dead in the eyes of Timmy when she spoke again. "I'm really called… Valentina…"

There was another long, uncomfortable pause of silence, excluding the crickets heard outdoors. The Toad boy was running all that she told him through his head, but still didn't see why she had to leave.

"Well… that's not such a big deal," he implied. "Lots of people don't say their real names, just for privacy or… just because they think their name is stupid. Like… like my teachers always call me 'Timothy' in school, but I constantly tell them to say 'Timmy' instead, because I hated being called the other way around."

"That is true, but… there's also another reason why I can't stay here," the bubbly girl explained. "And if your mom knew about it… she'd never let me watch both of you anyways."

"Then what is it, then? Why is it you're telling me this now?" Timmy asked with uncertainty.

"I… I…" Valentina couldn't keep her voice steady. But she knew she had to let it out. "Sigh… There is… there is actually more that you know about me than I'm letting on… but right now, I can't show you yet. We need to find Tutti before I reveal myself…"

"W-What do you mean 'reveal yourself'?" But the Toad boy already knew what she meant. When he overheard her conversation with E. Gadd…

'_Youth formula'… 12 hours…_

She gave him a loving hug. Her heart was tearing in two. "I'll show you later… I promise…," she whispered. "…but first things first. We need to get Tutti back."

/

(End of Part 4)


	5. Chapter 5: Time Is Ticking

Adventurous Stories In Babysitting

By: Virtualboy2558

/

Disclaimer: Super Mario RPG is Copyrights of Nintendo, Square, and Shigeru Miyamoto. I do not own, nor profit, from any or all of the characters mentioned.

/

There were many reasons to be afraid, even if all are a little irrational. Whether it be a fear of heights, snakes, mice, enclosed spaces, open spaces, or even dust for that matter… they can all be easily overcame by just saying, over and over, it will not hurt them.

But for Tutti, even her broad knowledge of psychology wasn't enough to keep her brave from all the scary, gruesome elements within the real world.

Darkness was one of her fears when she was a normal 6 year old. Which is why she demanded to have her nightlight on before going to sleep every night. Another was being absolutely terrified of unfriendly-looking strangers. Valley was fine to her, since she was nice to her… but anyone that has a scruffy beard, pale skin, sunken eyes, and a gruff voice would send the Toad girl running to her mom in tears.

Combine both those fears… and you have her worst nightmare come to life.

"Hey baby! Wanna have shome real fun with me?" a tipsy red-shelled Koopa slurred, while walking out of a nearby tavern. He gripped the front of her pants when he lost his balance. "I promish to be a good turtle! Hahahaha!"

In her fright, Tutti yanked herself away from the intoxicated creature and sprinted as far as she could from him. But not before bumping into a Wiggler that appeared right out of the blue. The large caterpillar-like being literally turned red with anger and faced her with a fuming glare while she was dazed on the ground.

"Hey! What's the big idea?! You think just because I'm a simple Wiggler, you can tread on me like I'm yesterday's garbage?! I'll set you straight, you little fungus!"

She whimpered while crawling away from the hostile worm, who marched closer and closer to her. The adolescent Toad girl yipped when her back knocked down somebody. She turned her head and cringed when she recognized who it was.

"Ah ha! There you are!" the wooden-legged Goomba snarled when he laid eyes on her. "You still causing trouble for all of us, huh?! We're going to make sure you never give us grief again!"

"P-Please… leave me alone…," she quavered. She was backed up to a wall as the disgruntled, grimly faces surrounded her on all sides.

"Leave you alone?! How about you leave _us_ alone for a change!" a hefty Sledge Bro growled. "What did we ever do to you?! You've been nothing but misery since you got here! And if I were you, I'd run back to your mother before we'd ruff you up!"

"D-Do you know where my m-mom is?" the Toad girl shakily asked.

"How should we know?!" the Wiggler yelled. "We aren't here to baby-sit you, hooligan! Now scram before we turn you to hamburger!"

"B-But… I don't know w-where I am!"

"Alright then! We'll do this the hard way!" the Goomba grunted.

They inched nearer to her with threatening poses. From her perspective, she could see the Goomba opening its fangs wide to bite her. The Sledge Bro pulled out a big hammer from its belt, ready to club anyone in his way. The Wiggler was grinding his teeth while stomping his feet hard into the ground in a intimidating way. And the red-shelled Koopa… well… he wasn't doing much except stumbling and clinging into anything to keep him from falling, but still scared the living daylights out of her.

All of this tension being directed at her was proving to be too much for her mind to handle. She clenched herself into a fetal position as a bright light once again enveloped her body. In a powerful release, Tutti screamed when a blast of energy shot out from her, and it knocked down the advancing strangers off their feet. They were unconscious upon hitting the ground.

The Toad girl sat on the ground panting. Cold sweat dripped down her skin from the strong output she exerted. It was like she ran 3 miles non-stop up Booster Hill.

"Ohhh… what's… what's happening to me?" she worried. "How did I acquire these powers? And more so… why can't I control them?" She clasped a hand to her head when a massive headache pounded her cranium. "Ugh… I need to find Valley and my brother. I miss them so much… I just want to be in their arms again."

A tear leaked out of her eye and she wiped it. She stood back up on her feet, a little dazed at first before she collected her thoughts and strength, and began walking down the street in the search for the two individuals she seek the most.

/

Meanwhile, Valentina and Timmy were out on foot in another part of the Mushroom Kingdom. The duo were making small talk while trying to find Tutti down the alleyways and in various stores. Many of the businesses were closing up for the night, so there wasn't much area to cover.

"I still don't know why my mom would hate you, though," the Toad boy wondered. "You're nice and very caring for us, you never neglect us whenever we want to do something…" He took a deep breath and exhaled with sorrow. "Is it something you're afraid she might fault you for? Or is it because she would have much feeling for you as for my dad when he was kicked out?"

"I think she would hate me more than she would hate your dad," the bubbly girl said somberly. It didn't make her feel good talking about how she'll need to tell the truth to everyone, but it was something that has to be done.

The Toad boy could see her sadness as they travelled on the brick road. "Uh, Valley… no wait, your real name was Valentina, wasn't it? Um… could I ask you something?"

"Yes, you may."

He fidgeted for a moment before responding. "When this is all over… and that on certain days when my mom isn't the wiser… uh… perhaps I could try visiting you?" There was a red tingle of embarrassment on his face. "Even though you won't be able to visit us… I'd still like it if I could get to know you… the _real_ you…"

Valentina's expression went from sullen to concerned after he finished. "I'm not sure if that's a good idea, Timmy. My lifestyle, for everyone that really knows me, is a bit… how should I put it? A little '_promiscuous'._ And also… wouldn't you get into trouble with your mother?"

"I don't really care," he replied, shrugging his shoulders. "What really hurts me is the fact that you mentioned Mom wouldn't allow you to see me or Tutti afterwards. I really think it seems unfair to me. And it doesn't matter what your lifestyle is… I still want to be your friend."

That bit of news really surprised her. "Really? You still want to be my friend?" she asked with awe.

He nodded. "Yep. After all… you said that that's what friends do. They care for people they like… and not because they think they're cool or have some fun toys to play with..." He looked up and smiled at her earnestly, which in turn made her smile back. She bent down and gave him a tight loving hug.

She was unable to keep the tears leaking from her eyes. "Thank you, Timmy… You're truly the most wonderful boy I've ever met…" A giggle escaped her lips. "Well… after my boyfriend, of course…"

They held each other in their embrace for a few more seconds, until the screech of tires alerted both of them. A heavy glare of light then shone on her and the Toad boy. The bouncing beauty held up a hand to shield her vision.

"What the…?" she muttered in confusion. There was the slam of a car door and she saw an old man hop out of a strangle-looking vehicle.

"Confound it, young lady!" E. Gadd bleated, as he waddled to the pair. "You sure know how to take off in a hurry! I had to take the old Spectre Vehicle out for a spin to find you two!"

Valentina was in a state of befuddlement. "Professor? W-What…? H-How did you find us here?"

"Same way as you were trying to track down that Toad girl… although in my old age, I needed some assistance with travelling." He dug into his pocket to pull out a weird-shaped gun. "Anyway, that doesn't matter now… I finally build something that can help set things straight again. Behold! My Age-o-tron Projector Ray!"

The sleek gizmo looked like something out of a popular science-fiction comic book. It had a bright red metal finish, with yellow rings surrounding the end of the muzzle. The funnel of the gun was in the shape of a water drop, while a sturdy handle with rubber straps allowed for an easy grip. At the back, there were a few knobs and a roulette counter that indicated a set of numbers. It was currently at 16 right now.

"Now then… the Age-o-tron can be able to accelerate or reverse the natural period of a person's age, simply by clicking onto the current setting and firing at the target. Observe here…"

E. Gadd turned a crank and the roulette cranked down until it reached 3. He then readied the device and pointed it towards Timmy, who became frightened and tried to run away… but was too slow. ZAP! A bolt of electrical energy issued from the gun and collided with the Toad, freezing upon contact. He was unable to move and became terrified as he started to shrink, his body becoming less and less complex. When the beam dissipated, there was an infant Toad boy sitting next to Valentina. Large clothes draped over him to cover his lower-half, he gurgled with blissful joy while looking up to her, whose face was full of shock.

"Oh my goodness! What have you done to him?!" she shrieked.

But the Professor waved a hand nonchalantly. "Not to worry, my dear! I can change him back just as easily!" He adjusted the knob and once again shot the Age-o-tron at the tiny toddler, who was sucking his thumb before he reverted back to his 8 year old self.

"Huh? Wha… Eww! Why is there slobber all over my hand?!" he uttered with repulsion. He wiped his thumb with his shirt sleeve, of which his clothes had been refitted back on his body again. "Did that old quack just turn me into a baby?"

While Timmy was complaining, the bubbly girl stood next to E. Gadd to chat with him in private. She carefully examined the device in detail.

"So this thing can do all the stuff your FAMU machine can do?"

"Not exactly," he explained, while pointing to the features with his index finger. "I have mixed a neutral recipe of the youth formula into here and bottled it up, so I can set it to any age when applicable. Then… when I pull the trigger, the formula gets transferred into a special feed to be blended in with the light and I can perform the act of making a person older or younger."

"And will it turn Tutti back to the way she was?" she questioned curiously.

"Certainly! All you need to do is aim and shoot… and she'll be the adorable little child she once was," the Professor concluded with a smile. "And don't worry… this doesn't hurt in the slightest bit, so you can change yourself back as well."

Valentina looked away from him and watched the Toad boy near them with worry. "I don't want to do it just yet… there'll be plenty of time for that after we find our missing 'teenager'."

A distant sound chimed, and all eyes turned towards a clock tower, which was just a few blocks away from their location. Its hands were positioned to show it was 6:00pm. The bouncing beauty's stomach dropped and felt ice-cold. There was only an hour left before Femi would be back at the house.

Timmy was starting to panic after seeing the predicament they were in. "This is bad! Very bad! At this rate, we'll never find my sister in time!" he quavered, while clutching the top of his hat with his hands.

But for some reason, none of this tension seemed to affect E. Gadd, whose smile broadened.

"No need to fret, my lad!" he chirped. "You'll be happy to hear the news I have to tell you! Because a matter of fact… I have managed to track down your sibling!"

The Toad boy's head perked up suddenly and he stared at him. "You found Tutti? Where is she?!"

The Professor simply directed his hand to the E. Gadd 1 Spectre Vehicle. "Well… if you'd hop in, we can get to her as soon as possible! Come on now!"

The three people got into the car with quick demeanour, with Valentina behind the steering wheel, and they were off. With E. Gadd's navigation, she drove them through town until they were within the residential area of Downtown Mushroom Kingdom. Just down the road was a crowd of citizens surrounding a certain metal structure that jutted out 50 feet into the air. And as she came to a rolling stop, the bubbly girl's jaw dropped by what she was seeing.

They were at the location where an old billboard towered above the buildings. The steel bars that held it up were bent and rusted from years of neglect. The advertisement, which was a promotion for Kerokero Cola ("Best Drink For The Hippest Tadpoles Around!"), was peeling and faded. And on the top of the rafters… was Tutti clinging for dear life.

"Oh my stars…," Valentina gasped. "Tutti! We're coming for you! Just hang on!"

She got out of the car in a dash, followed closely by Timmy and E. Gadd, and watched in horror as the Toad girl held onto a broken metal pipe. It creaked dangerously from having to put up with her weight. And it looked as though it won't be for much longer before it snaps and she plummets to her death.

"AAAGH! TUTTI!" shouted her distressed brother, calling out with both hands cupped like a megaphone. "TUTTI! IT'S ME, TIMMY! DON'T LET GO OF THE BILLBOARD!" He quickly went through the dense mass of the crowd, ducking and weaving past police-Toads in his way. When he got to the base, he awkwardly began climbing the ring ladder to the top of the structure.

The bouncing beauty gasped again. "Timmy! What are you doing?! Get down from there! You're going to fall too!" But the Toad boy stubbornly ignored her pleas, and he continued his ascent. She gazed to the Professor in worry. "I'm going after him. He shouldn't be doing this without parent supervision." And so she too went into the throng of people, avoiding security with ease as well, and grabbed onto the ladder to chase after her responsibility.

By now, Timmy was more than halfway up the beam of the billboard when he heard his sister cry out above him. The metal pipe groaned loudly and sagged a few inches down, nearly making Tutti lose her grip. There were tears streaking down her face as she whimpered.

"I'm coming, Tutti! Just hold on for a little longer!" The Toad boy was exhausted from his climb, but didn't let it stop him from reaching the rafters at a quicker pace. At last, his feet touched the walkway of the large advertisement and he inched his way to help the adolescent female.

"I'm here now! Just give me your hand and I'll pull you up!" he stammered. He held out his short arm to her.

But the Toad girl shook her head, and didn't release her grasp on her only means of support. "I can't, Timmy! It goes against the laws of physics! My body mass is more than twice yours, and you only have less than half my strength! You'll be dragged down with me!"

"Forget science right now, Tutti! This is your life at stake! Give me your hand so I can reach you!"

"Please, brother… I don't want you to die too!" she wept. The bar shuttered again and slid another few inches.

"Listen, I know you're afraid! But you got to trust me!" Timmy hollered, while still sticking out his small hand. "I won't let go of you, okay? I love you!"

Tutti looked at him with fearful eyes. Her brain kept telling her it was impossible, and she will risk them both if she did it… but her heart couldn't keep itself from accepting his deep adoration. And so… ever so slowly, her long arm reached up to grab her brother's outstretched palm.

CRACK! The pipe finally snapped from the exertion of the heavy Toad girl and it fell to the long stretch of ground below. She quickly latched onto Timmy, who managed to catch her with both hands and he heaved her up. But just as she predicted, her weight proved to be too much for him. His feet began to slide to the edge as he desperately tried to combat the physical forces at work. Timmy was about to slip off the front of the billboard… had it not been for a single hand that pulled him backwards.

"Now I don't want to sound like the Professor, but you sure know how to take off in a hurry!" Valentina grunted, as she yanked both Toads back on the rafters. All three panted in fatigue of their struggle, with everyone hugging one another tenderly.

/

"I still don't get why you were up there in the first place."

"I was trying to get a better advantage point so I could find you guys," said a meek Tutti, who was holding herself in her arms. "Apparently, I wasn't thinking incoherently when I conceived that idea. My phobias were spiking at their emotional peak, and I didn't know what else to attempt."

The trio were now back on the front yard of Timmy's home (after E. Gadd was polite enough to drop them off at the establishment). In Valentina's right hand was the Age-o-tron, with its settings at 6 years of age. She was getting ready to fire it upon the Toad girl, while her sibling was nervously checking both ends of the street to see if their mother was coming back, which would be at any minute now.

"We better wrap things up guys," the Toad boy worried. "If Mom catches us out here… we're dead meat."

"Don't worry, Timmy," the bubbly girl replied. "I just got to warm this thing up and we'd be good to go. There's no use to getting your underwear in a knot."

Sighing, he walked back to meet up with his sister, who acknowledges him with a comforting embrace.

"You're sure about going through this?" he wondered. In his grip was a tiny syringe.

"Yes… I'm very sure, my big brother," she muttered calmly. She was a bit unnerved by the long point of the medical instrument, but so long as she held onto him… she felt brave. "I may miss being such a highly intellectual, sophisticated young woman… but none of that is comparable to our wonderful times together as children hand in hand." She smiled while nuzzling him. "And besides… I'll be joyous of coming back to this stage of my lifespan in the _natural_ course of time. But for now, I want to hold dear to our platonic, yet mighty bond and friendship."

"Alright then," Timmy responded, also smiling. "Keep still now. And hold my hand if necessary."

Tutti make a tiny squeal of pain when he poked the needle into her skin. She clasped onto his palm and firmly, but carefully, squeezed it to alleviate her discomfort. All the while, the Toad boy was drawing a small amount of blood from her. And as soon as it started, it was over.

"There you go… here's your lollipop, and here's your prescribed medicine. Take two during mealtimes and call me in the morning," he joked, while patting her arm and kissed the spot where he made the extraction.

The Toad girl giggled at his sense of humour. "I loved it when we played doctor… I think that may be my choice in career when I'm truly older. That or become a scientist… just like that kind man, E. Gadd."

He then went up to his babysitter so that she could inject the DNA sample into her device. The bouncing beauty inserted the blood through a slot in the gun, there was a tiny whir… and a random light turned green.

"Okay! I got it ready, Timmy! Stand back now!" Valentina called out. The Toad boy moved as he was instructed, as he watched his sister about to get hit by the beam that'll turn her back to normal.

"See you in about 10 years, brother…," Tutti remarked, waving out to him.

"Yeah… me too…," Timmy spoke, waving back just before the Age-o-tron zapped her.

She stood there in a transfixed state, her beautiful face was unmoving as it slowly regressed to its younger self. Her body, arms and legs all visibly shortened within a matter of seconds, along with all the traits that indicated her maturity. When the beam stopped firing, there was a pile of clothes of where she was. The pile was squirming around for a moment… before the head of 6 year old Tutti popped out from the attire.

"Tutti!" her brother shouted, and surrounded his arms in a big hug.

"Timmy!" she cheered, her voice much higher in pitch than it was a minute ago.

"I'm so glad you're finally back to your old self again! Err…well, your _young_ self, I mean… hehehe…" He turned to look straight at his sister's eyes. "Please don't grow up too fast on me… okay?"

She giggled cutely. "Whatever you say, big brother! I only know that I'm going to beat you in Scrabble the next time we play again! You know I have an extensive vocabulary!" She covered her mouth with both hands, looking very wide-eyed.

Timmy's heart skipped a beat upon hearing his sister. A look of horror was on his face.

"Oh my stars… You're… you're still insanely smart, Tutti!" he stammered, backing away from her. "B-But I thought you'd no longer… you're not suppose to… Oh man, this is bad… this is bad… this is bad! Now Mom's _definitely_ going to kill me!"

She cocked her head to one side with concern. "It's okay, Timmy. What bad will come out with me being smart?"

"A lot of things! How will I explain this to Mom when she gets back?! And then she'll find that you were a 16 year old teenager, and then she'll blame me for not being more responsible for watching you! And then I'll be grounded until who knows how long…"

"Shhh… relax," she soothed him, placing a small finger to his lips. "You don't have to hyperventilate in front of me." She gently wrapped her hands on his shoulders. "I know this will be difficult to getting used to over time… but it would help matters if you take a deep breath and let go of your anxiety. I won't let Mom know of my true intelligence, and I certainly won't allow you to get blamed for it." She winked at him slyly. "This will be our little secret, alright?"

He gulped slightly and nodded. And like she instructed him, he inhaled and exhaled heavily. "Thing's are never going to be quite the same, are they?"

"I'm afraid not… but like I said, I'm still your loving sister." She placed his hand gently against her chest. "My heart will still beat the same as before… and I'll love you the same as before. Do you still believe me when I say that?

Timmy thought long and hard before he answered. His hopeful smile never faltered. "Of course I do…"

The two siblings once again pulled each other in for a hug. It was still strange to Timmy… knowing that his little sister now has an IQ over 200. But that didn't matter now… he was just glad to know that things will return almost to the way they were…

…well, except for one more piece of business to finish.

While they were in their tender moment, Valentina quickly went into the house to change clothes. She didn't want to burst out of her shirt and skirt if she was going to do what she meant to do a long time ago. After slipping on her baggy adult attire, she returned outside and adjusted the settings of the Age-o-tron to her correct age, while both Toad children stared at her with curiosity.

"I guess it's time to show you what I really look like to you, Timmy," she sighed. Her heart ached more than ever… but she knew it had to be done. "I never meant to hurt anyone… but I've already caused enough trouble for both you and Tutti. And…" Another heavy breath escaped her lungs. "…I'm sure you'll easily know who I am when I'm done."

Tutti exchanged a look of confusion. "What does she mean, big brother?" she asked him.

The Toad boy suddenly had an uncomfortable demeanour, and his eyes pointed to the ground in guilt. "Uh… Valentina… I have a confession to make. Um… I've… I've overheard what you and that E. Gadd guy said while we were in his lab earlier today. You've mentioned that the reason why Tutti had grown up in the first place was… because you had some sort of youth formula, right?"

The bubbly girl was mildly surprised by this piece of information, but didn't bother to accuse him for it. After all… this was all her fault for not telling him sooner.

"Go on," she gently urged.

"Well… you also said that that _you_ also had some of that formula as well…," he mumbled shyly. "So that means… you're actually older than you are right now? Not to be rude… but how old are you really?"

She made small laugh before it died out all too quickly. "Old enough to know better that I shouldn't have tricked you into being someone I'm not… and don't worry. I'm not some old lady, if you're wondering." Sighing one more time, she pointed the Age-o-tron straight at her chest.

"Alright now… no more hiding myself any longer…" She closed her eyes as she prepared to fire. "This is the real me, Timmy…"

The blast of energy engulfed her frame, making her glimmer in the fading light of the evening sun. All around her, certain parts of her body began to develop at a slow rate. Her legs became a little more shapely and feminine. Her hips pushed out to their full extent, making her skirt fit perfectly on her waist, excluding the part where her large butt filled out. Her arms lengthened and became slightly thicker in muscle tone. Her shirt was quickly stretched out once more as her breasts ballooned to their original tremendous size. And her face went from looking like a pretty, awkward, and inexperienced teenager… to a mature, beautiful, and sophisticated adult. The process was over in a matter of seconds.

Almost immediately, Timmy's eyes grew as wide as saucers, as he recognized the individual in front of him with alarming amazement. He couldn't believe that he didn't realize it up until now…

"It's… it's… it's you!" he sputtered with awe. "You're… you're her!"

The bubbly girl's eyes reopened to reveal her shiny baby blues. "Yes… it's me, kiddo…"

"I don't believe…," came a shocked female voice.

Valentina gasped when she heard her. Her skin became ice-cold and full of goose bumps when see looked to her left… and saw Femi T., who was just getting out of her car. The motherly Toad was gaping at her with ever increasing resentment, with hands balled into tight, shivering fists of anger. If any neighbourhood bully were to look at her face, they would be running away screaming.

No… no… not her, the bouncing beauty cried in her mind. Anybody but her…

"So _you_ were the one that was watching over my children?" Femi questioned, as she quivered in a brewing rage. "It was _you_ all along?"

"No… oh, please no…," Valentina whimpered timidly. She was slowly backing away.

The Toad mother's face cringed in repulsion. "I have never been so disgusted or jaded in all my life…"

It was at this point that the bubbly girl turned heel and sprinted off in total fright. She kept running and running, never looking back at the haunting expression that her former employer made. She heard loud, profane cursing and obsessive shrieking directed behind her, but didn't bothered to hear them. She knew what they meant… and it ripped her heart even more.

Valentina was officially out of a job again.

/

Three days had past after those horrible events. And not once had it shone a bright day of sunlight since. As dark overcasted clouds rumbled through the sky, the inside vicinity of Mario's Pad was more eerily quiet than usual. The yellow wallpaper on the walls looked gloomy and hollow in the dim light. And once in a while, the sound of the roof creaking would come from time to time.

Sitting on Luigi's bed, watching the rain fall behind the foggy window, was Valentina… whose eyes were red and puffy from crying. She was unable to stop crying since she was fired, and didn't bothered to come out of her room as well, excluding for when she needed to eat or go to the bathroom. On more than one occasion, her boyfriend knocked on the door to try coax her out, so that he could make her feel better. But even Luigi wasn't enough to fill the large hole that cracked open her aching heart…

She spent pretty much the whole morning and afternoon, weeping in her domain and refusing to be comforted. It pained both Mario Brothers to see her this way, but they knew they couldn't interfere while she was in her emotional state. So they simply monitored her well-being by taking turns to listen to the sounds inside the bedroom.

Mario and Luigi left the house around 4:30pm to go get take-out at the local pizzeria. While they were gone to get supper that night, the bouncing beauty continued to leak tears while gazing at the awful weather outside. She was thinking about going into the kitchen to eat some chocolate ice cream and ease her pain… when she heard a rap clicking onto the pane of glass.

Startled, Valentina inched her way towards the opening, wondering who would be trying to break her window at this time of day. And when she opened the top to get a better view… she was surprised to see the shivering, wet form of Timmy looking up at her.

"M-M-Mind if I c-come in?" he mumbled, his teeth chattering.

"Timmy? What the heck are you doing here?" she chimed in. "It's below zero degrees! You're going to catch a cold!" Nonetheless, she stretched out her arms so that he could grab the poor freezing Toad boy, and brought him inside her cozy home. She tightly squeezed his dripping body against her breasts to help warm him up.

"You shouldn't have came here to see me…"

"But I wanted to…," he uttered. "It wasn't easy trying to find you… That E. Gadd guy told me where you lived while I was on my way here. I could have brought Tutti with me… but she's at her doctor's appointment. Mom thinks I'm at home studying… while she's with my sister at the Toad clinic." He nuzzled into her arm to hide away his sad expression. "Plus… I was feeling really lonely…"

"Well… I guess it's no use to bring you back now," she sighed in pity. "You can stay here until the rain lets up, I guess…"

Valentina rubbed his back tenderly for a few minutes. When she no longer felt him shivering, she let go of him so that he could properly sit on her lap. Upon further inspection, she could see that Timmy also had been crying his eyes out recently. His face looked tired and worn out, while his mushroom hat was somewhat askew to reveal a bit of his messy black hair.

A sullen exhale escaped his mouth. "I couldn't sleep well last night…"

"How come?"

"I've been thinking a lot… about things between you and Mom," Timmy replied dully. "It's been getting under my skin lately. And it frustrates me of the way she treated you…" He stared ahead at a blank wall. "I'm really sorry for the cruel words she said…"

"It's alright, Timmy," she muttered. "I don't hold a grudge for her."

"You know…I've always known my mom to be a little overprotective and a bit strict at times… but this…" He suddenly took a sharp intake of air and angrily pounded the mattress with a clenched fist. "…I can't believe her! This is not right! You shouldn't be accused for something so unjust and absurd! It's times like this that I wish I could just… just… ugh… I don't know…" His posture soften a bit while shaking his head. He replaced his hat so it didn't hang off so much. "…I'm so sick of innocent people being judged before they got to be known."

"I know how you feel… and believe me, I've asked that question many times before," Valentina remarked. "But that's just how life is… and we can't do a thing about it."

The Toad boy sniffled when he turned to look at her again. "Can I tell you something very personal?"

She nodded sincerely. "Of course."

He took his time to figure out what he wanted to say. And when he spoke, all of his distress and suffering seemed to melt away like ice.

"Long before you came on my doorstep… I was the most isolated person on my street. None of the neighbours liked me, or my classmates at school… and just about everyone shunned me away when I wanted to open my feelings to them. Most especially Mom… after she left Dad."

"You've already told me this, though," the bouncing beauty reminded.

"I know… I was just getting to my point," Timmy explained. He wiped a tear from his eye before continuing. "I felt like I just wanted to disappear… or run away from home. I couldn't stand to be so alone. Then…" He was silent for a minute. "…I looked out my window and saw the big starry sky. And I remembered that the great Star Spirits were listening for wishes every night, hoping to grant them to those in dire need… so… I made a wish that night."

"What did you wish for?"

"I wished… for a great friend like you…" A smile lit up his face like a beacon. "…and I knew it came true when I met you."

"Aww…" She clasped her arms around him for another of her trademark hugs. It was at this moment… that the emptiness within her heart vanished as though it wasn't there. "You'll always be my special friend too, Timmy."

"You promise?" he asked her. His voice began to crack again with emotion.

"Cross my heart… hope to die… stick a needle in my eye… if I lie," she whispered to his ear.

The pair remained in their embrace for a long period of time. Things were silent again, except this time it wasn't so gloomy or eerie… nor did it seem to Valentina that she wanted to cry again. After all… a big girl like her wasn't supposed to cry. When the bubbly girl looked at the window again, she could see sunlight peaking out from her window. The rain had stopped falling.

"Looks like the weather is good enough to go outside again. You should probably get back home before your mother comes back to prepare dinner."

The Toad boy made a small nod before hopping off her lap. "It's alright… I've told Mom before she left that I was going to have some leftovers for my meal, and then stay in my room for the rest of the night. But you're right… I better leave right now."

"Do you want me to fly you home?" she offered.

"Nah, I'll be fine… It's not too long of a walk," he mumbled. "Plus those neighbourhood bullies won't try to chase me down again… after you dealt with them."

She chuckled a little. "I guess I really etched terror in each of their faces permanently." She smiled as he climbed onto the ledge of the window. "Hope to see you again, Timmy. Thank you for visiting me."

The Toad boy, who was hiding a few tears from her while he was perched on the sill, managed to keep his voice calm and clear. "You're welcome, Valentina… Hope things turn out alright for you…"

He jumped off the ledge to the ground and began heading to where he wanted to go. A slightly ominous chill was lingering in the air, but the bouncing beauty hadn't felt it creep upon her. At least… not yet.

/

Morning arrived with a bit of wind, along with some overcast clouds still littering the sky, though not as bad as the last three days. Sitting at the dinning table were Valentina, Luigi, and Mario, who were eating their breakfast with a fair share of pancakes. While the two plumbers were making a bit of small talk with each other, their guest was reading the newspaper in search for another job she can do.

"Ugh… I hate it when I have to do Mr. Russ T.'s pipes," Luigi groaned, holding his head with his hand. "I swear… it's like he's trying to have them clogged, just for revenge when I accidentally flooded his basement a year ago."

His red-clad sibling simply murmured while sipping on his cup of orange juice.

"I mean… if you're going to call for help, don't try creating the problem you want solved! If it were up to me, I'd make him fix his own mess. A whole bunch of limerick poem pages don't get stuck inside a sewer line on their own, you know."

Their conversation was interrupted when the phone rang. The bubbly girl got out of her seat.

"I'll get it. You two just keep eating, okay?" Both of them nodded while she made her way across the kitchen and lifted up the receiver. She placed it between her shoulder and chin.

"Hello? Who is it?"

She could hear some shuffling within the background before she heard who was speaking.

"H-Hi, Valentina… Thought I c-could chat with you f-for a minute…"

Her expression went from curious to full of concern. "Timmy? Is that you?" she wondered. "Are you alright? You sound sad for some reason."

"Y-Yeah… I'm fine…," he trembled. His voice was almost hard to distinguish from her end, because he kept on sniffling and making sharp quick breaths. "J-Just wanted to s-say that… that I l-love you a lot as a f-friend… before I h-have to go."

"Go? Go where? Where are you? Are you at your house?"

"I'm n-not at my house… I ran off… and I'm not c-coming back…"

"What?!" Valentina exclaimed. She grabbed the handle of the phone before it slipped off her shoulder. Her sudden outcry had alerted both Mario Brothers from the table. "Timmy, where are you? And what do you mean you're not coming back?"

"I'm… I'm g-going to end it all here… just so Mom d-doesn't have to be a-angry at you a-anymore…," he wept.

"End it all here?! What does that mean? Please tell me where you are! I know you're not happy with your mom, but that doesn't mean you have to abandon her! Let me help you! We can try coming to a compromise!"

"I'm… I'm sorry, V-Valentina… G-Goodbye…"

"No, wait! Don't hang up!" she cried. But she heard a loud crackle before the line went dead. She never looked so horrified in her entire life.

"What's going on, honey?" Luigi asked with worry. He and Mario were standing next to her with complete anxiety on their faces. "What's happening? Who called?"

For a moment, she was very quiet, excluding the heavy breathing she was making through her nose. Then her eyes narrowed a bit with determination and she looked up to her boyfriend. "I got to go for now. I'll be back soon hopefully." And she headed for the front door to quickly take off with her wings.

Luigi's concern grew deeper as he chased after her. "Where are you going in such a hurry? Do you need help?"

"No, I'm fine," she replied, while stretching our her feathery appendages. "Don't follow me, please. I got to do this alone. I love you, dear."

She was gone in a powerful thrust to the skies before he could interject another word. In no time, she was floating over the Mushroom Kingdom. She didn't bothered to waste any time getting to her destination. In her heart, she could feel something wasn't right… like something bad was about to happen…

"Just as I thought." When she found what she was looking for, the bouncing beauty swooped towards the Mushroom Suburbs with haste. She landed down in the middle of Bleeker Street, just at the same time that Sam and his friends were grabbing an innocent child. They were about to steal his favourite baseball bat… until all three thugs yelped out when she turned and stared at them coldly.

"Yikes! Uh… w-we were just handing it back to him, miss!" Sam stuttered, shivering as he returned the sport instrument to the little human boy. "We only wanted to play a round with him on the field, I swear!"

He, Pig and Mutt ran away screaming before she could do anything nasty to them. But Valentina wasn't there to wail on them or anything…

She had business with a certain female Toad.

A rap on the door was all it took for Femi to answer. When she saw who it was, her face was full of venom. She crossed her arms tightly against her chest in a sour mood.

"I ought to get a restraining order if this is going to keep up," she said coolly. "What are you doing trespassing on my property?"

The Toad mother's withering look would be enough to make the paint on a car peel and crack, as well as make its driver pee their pants… but that didn't intimidate the bubbly girl at the slightest bit. Her posture never wavered nor cowered from Femi's presence. Her body was calm, yet assertive. And her blue eyes looked steely upon the mushroom woman before her.

"Are you aware of where your son is at the moment?" Valentina firmly spoke.

Not wanting to be the one daunted, the female Toad retorted with a response. "He's sleeping in his room at the moment… and I'm sure he does not want to see or hear from the likes of you ever again. Now get out of here before I call the police to have you arrested."

The pink hair woman continued to look at her with defiance. "You don't scare me at all, Femi. And I'll tell you right off the bat… that Timmy is outside on the dangerous streets, feeling unloved and unheard, and _not_ in his bedroom like you assume he is. And don't _ever_ think he wants to see me… because he finds more comfort and belonging when he's with me more than he's with you."

"How… dare you say about what my child wants!" she snarled at her. And the Toad mother flung her hand across to slap the bouncing beauty in the face.

But Valentina caught and clenched her arm tightly before she could even make her target. Femi struggled to remove herself from the Mamma's grip, but she was easily overpowered. The female Toad was no longer the confident individual she once was. Rather… she was now whimpering and looking frightened under her grudge's mildly harsh glare.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't go around assaulting people. Now listen to me…," Valentina stated. Her determined expression still did not change, but she did not loosen her grasp on her appendage either. "…I know you don't like me, and I only have less mutual feelings for you. But right now… we need to set aside our differences and help stop your son from making the biggest mistake in his life. I only bothered to come here because I know only _you_ can get through to him. I'm a compassionate person who only wishes to do the right thing… and I want _you_ to do the right thing by telling him that you love him."

Femi, being so terrified that she might get pulverized by her, hesitated to form her next words. "But… but… but I do love him, though…"

"Really? Are you sure about that?" the bubbly girl questioned. "Because only recently have I found out that this all started when you divorced your husband. Timmy tells me how he didn't get any comfort when you and his dad separated. And believe me… I know what true separation feels like when my own parents lost me as a child." She got closer to the Toad mother to make sure she got her point across. "To feel like no one is there to give you a hug when you feel lost and miserable is the worst kind of grief anyone can experience. I may not be a mother of my own… but I do know when someone needs to be held until the pain stops. And I've had my fair share of what real pain is." Valentina put her other hand on top of Femi's shoulder, and the Toad flinched a bit from this close, uncomfortable exposure. "I need you to help me, Femi… before it's all too late to change your mind. Right now, this isn't about me or you, or even the great Star Spirits above us… this is about your son, and only your son."

With nervous and shallow breathing, the female Toad's lips quivered and tended to her arm when the bouncing beauty released it. There was a scurry of little feet, and Tutti unexpectedly appeared beneath both of their legs.

"Timmy is gone, mommy! I can't find him anywhere! He's not in his room!" she cried. The Toad girl saw her mother's grim demeanour. "Mommy? Are you okay?"

For a minute or two, Femi was very quiet… suddenly feeling doubtful of herself. Now that she thought of it, she hadn't seen her son at all since she left with her daughter for the clinic yesterday. And she began to get a gut feeling of anxiety of something she can't quite make out… but can tell it can't be good.

With enough courage, she tried to speak again. And it wasn't either vengeful nor malicious… only full of concern.

"What do you want me to do?" she asked the bubbly girl.

Valentina only gestured to her back as she unfolded her wings again. "I want you to come with me. I'm not sure if you're comfortable of aerial travel, but you'll have to get over your fears soon if you want to save Timmy in time."

/

(End of Part 5)


	6. Chapter 6: A New Age & Old Amends

Adventurous Stories In Babysitting

By: Virtualboy2558

/

Disclaimer: Super Mario RPG is Copyrights of Nintendo, Square, and Shigeru Miyamoto. I do not own, nor profit, from any or all of the characters mentioned.

/

The flight over the Mushroom Kingdom was once again a brief one. But of course… anything is brief when a life is at stake.

Valentina was holding onto Femi tightly, so to not let her go, while they were sailing above the rooftops. The Toad mother was a little jumpy when it came to heights. It was one of the reasons why she never went on an airplane in her life. But she tried not thinking about it. Right now… she wanted to find her son.

It didn't take long to sight what they were looking for. Once again, there was a gathering of people within Downtown Mushroom Kingdom… in the exact same spot as before. Many Toads, Koopas, and other species were staring up in horror as the police tried to coax the young individual out from the top of the Kerokero Cola billboard. When the two women landed near the crowd of citizens, Femi gasped as she put a hand to her mouth.

"My boy… that's my poor baby boy!" she cried. She could see Timmy up on the rusted metal rafters, his body turned away from the people below him.

One of the police-Toads heard her and walked down to meet the distressed female. "Is that your child, miss?" he asked.

"Yes, that's my child!"

"Are you Ms. Femi Nini T., by any chance?"

"Yes, that's who I am."

The Toad cop wrote something down on a small notepad. "Are you aware that your child has been stuck up there for 7 hours and refuses to come down?"

"No, I wasn't aware!" Femi quavered, trying hard not to cry. "I was just brought here by one of my neighbours." She looked to the bubbly girl for support, who confirmed with a simple nod. "Have you thought of any way to bring him down?"

"I'm afraid not, miss," the officer confirmed. "He wouldn't accept being brought down by the fire department or the entire police squad. He's just standing there for… something. We're not sure what he plans to do, so we were just keeping a close eye on him until one of his parents showed up."

"Do you mind if I could try speaking to him, sir?" Valentina wondered. "I'm a close friend of his."

The Toad cop scratched his head. "You could try, though I don't know what good it might do. Do you need help up there with the fire ladder?"

She waved a hand. "No, it's okay. I have my own means of transport." She was about to take off with her wings before the Toad mother clutched her arm to stop her.

"Please let me go up with you. I want to be near my son."

"Not just yet, Femi," she explained. "I can't let Timmy think you came here because I brought you here. I'll first try reasoning with him… and if that doesn't work, I'll let you speak to him, okay? Just give me about 10 minutes please."

As much as she wanted to protest of this, she realised the bouncing beauty was right. Reluctantly, she let go of her and gave her space.

"Alright then… just let him know I'm here."

With another nod, Valentina bent down and shot upwards with high velocity until she was at the right height. She kept herself hovering over the billboard, getting closer and closer to it. Ever so gently, she touched her feet down on the rickety ledge, just on the other side of where Timmy was sitting down. The Toad boy was alerted of the creaking sound behind him and turned to his left to see his former babysitter standing there. He looked away just as quickly in sadness.

"No… no… why did you came here? How did you find me?" he moaned, his hands covering his face.

"I figured since you knew this place… that it would grab a lot of attention here," she speculated. "I don't think you'd be the kind of person who would jump off and commit suicide alone. Plus… I pretty much saw you on the way here." It was the half-truth… but she wasn't going to let him know about his mother just yet.

She carefully walked down the walkway and sat down with him, placing a tender hand on his shoulder. "What gave you the idea of killing yourself, Timmy?"

He rubbed an eye after some tears leaked out. "I… I just want you to be our babysitter again…"

The bubbly girl let out a sigh. "I know you do… but you don't need me to watch you anymore," she spoke softly. "You'll get other babysitters to look over you and Tutti… but you can still visit me anytime."

"Not if my mom keeps hating you all the time. It's still not right," he sniffled. He wrapped his arms around his legs while continuing to keep himself from facing her.

She was silent for a few minutes, thinking about what next to say. She turned herself to the direction of where the large crowd was beneath them and let her legs dangle over the edge. She twiddled her thumbs while she did this.

"You know… last night when you came into my room in the rain… I was thinking about killing myself too…"

"Huh?" That made Timmy's head perked up and look at her. "W-Why, though?"

Valentina shrugged a bit. "Not quite sure… I think it was because I felt like I'd never see you or Tutti again," she elaborated. She clasped her arms to hug herself. "I've had friends in the past who left me… and they've said they'd be with me forever… but turns out they were either only using me or someone else didn't like me very much. And… it was gut-wrenching enough when I had to run from your mother and not be able to come back to your house again."

She went to fixate her blue eyes on him and gave a small smile. "I was actually very glad when you showed up near my window that night. It really felt good knowing you were willing to still be my friend… even though I've lied to you about my real image."

"Hehe… I don't think I could have stopped being your friend if I tried," the Toad boy chuckled. "You've been sort of growing on me long before we official met…"

"But then… why would you be wanting to go about your way of committing suicide, when you know that'll only hurt me deeply inside?" she asked, her smile vanishing. Her eyes were full of pain. "It wouldn't do good for your family and friend to hear about your death and make them miss you dearly. Especially if it was me and your mother, you know."

Timmy sighed deeply, feeling so much grief after realizing the facts she told him. "I'm not sure either… in fact, I'm not sure of anything anymore. After being up here for so long, you'd think my mom would know and care in a heartbeat. But I haven't seen her this whole time…"

The bouncing beauty felt like it was the right time to divulge her secret. "She's actually here right now…"

"What? You're serious?" he blurted out, quickly lifting himself to his feet.

She only pointed out to the gathering below them. Timmy carefully treaded on the rafters and scanned the group of people to get a better look. When he found his mother standing with worry at the far back, he gasped.

Femi must have known that her son was currently watching her, because she began waving her arms frantically and shouting out to him.

"What's she saying? I can't hear her!"

Valentina then motioned to the Toad mother by pointing her thumb up, signalling her to speak louder. Femi looked around until she spotted a police Toad with a megaphone. She ran up to him and got his attention.

"Excuse me, but do you mind if I could borrow that for a while?" she questioned, indicating the amplifying device. "I need to talk to my son up there."

"Sure. Use it for as long as you want," he approved. He handed it to her.

"Thank you very much." By moving at a distance, she clicked on the megaphone and began speaking through it. Her voice echoed and overpowered the noisy chatter of the crowd. "_Timmy? Can you hear me now? It's your mom!_"

Cupping his hands together, the Toad boy shouted as loud and clear as he could. "Yes, Mom! I can hear you now!"

All eyes of the Mushroom Kingdom citizens turned over to the young Toad mother while she conversed with her child. "_I really would like it if you can come down, honey!_" she spoke in a choked voice. "_I want you to come back home! I'm so scared to see you like this!_"

"I don't want to come back home!" he yelled. "Not until you say sorry to Valentina and stop hating her!"

"_I don't hate her! I was only trying to protect you! I'm always deeply concerned for your well-being when she's with you!_"

A spillage of tears fell down Timmy's eyes. "That's a lie, Mom! Don't lie to me! You've already proved to me that you hated her right when I saw you screaming and chasing after her! And you've never cared a lot for me! Not since Dad left us when I was Tutti's age!"

His hurtful words pierced her heart like daggers, and she couldn't keep herself from sobbing a little. "_Then I'll be more caring for you from now on,_" Femi wept. "_I can change, Timmy. Just give me a chance._"

"No! I've gave you countless chances and you blow it every time! Why would this time be any different?" he accused. He turned his back to her, unable to look at her again.

The female Toad heaved and whimpered when it felt like he didn't want to speak to her anymore. She got down on her knees, dropping the megaphone to the ground, and let out her emotions with a long aching cry. One police Toad nervously went down to pat her back in sympathy.

The bouncing beauty was worried. The situation didn't seem like it was going anywhere fast. If this conflict was to be resolved once and for all, she'll need to get both of them to open up a little to each other. It wasn't going to be easy… and will be a very subtle procedure to fiddle with.

"You know that wasn't a nice thing to say to her, right?" she pointed out.

Timmy said nothing for a while, until after he breathed a long sigh of guilt. "I know… I didn't wanted to, but… it's true though. I can't even be able to think of one time she did something with me… or comforted me when I was sad…" He closed his eyes to search through his memories and shook his head. "I can only think of the times she had misunderstood, punished, or lectured me. Sigh… I'll only come down if she can come up with at least 3 things she's did for me that weren't so depressing…"

"Then you're not giving her that many choices…"

"I've already made up my mind. She can try talking to me all she wants…," he said, a hint of stubbornness in his tone. "And it won't change anything until she can come up with those 3 memories."

Valentina tried to find another solution so they could compromise, but she also didn't want to break this delicate process. After all, the love between a parent and child should be straight from the heart… and not faked in any way.

"I'll be back in a moment, Timmy," she muttered. "Just remember to listen to her when she speak to you."

She flapped her wings and flew down to meet up with Femi again, who was now at the front of the crowd. The female Toad was still crying from her son's unpleasant speech, and became shaken when the bubbly girl landed next to her.

"Sniff… I d-don't know why he's d-doing this to me," she grieved. "I just w-want him to be in my a-arms again…

It was at this point that Valentina explained to her what she needed to do to get Timmy off the billboard. When all the details were clarified, Femi looked totally clueless.

"But… but why t-though? That's j-just silly! I can't t-think of three i-instances of b-being with my son at the t-top of my head!"

"Well, you better think of them quickly," the bouncing beauty sternly told her. "Because if you don't, your son won't have any more reason to be with you. Any mother should be able to remember all their wonderful times they've been with their children. All you need to do is tell it like it is… and _don't_ force him to climb down," she added, sharply poking Femi's chest with her finger.

The motherly Toad meekly shuffled herself closer to the billboard, until she was straight below the rafters, and once again turned on her megaphone.

"_S-Son? Are you s-still there?_"

Timmy's head popped out from the edge to look down upon his guardian. There was slight bitterness in his eyes. "Yes, Mom. What is it now?"

Forcing a brave smile the best way she could, she recalled one memory that was for sure one of the most happiest moments she had with him. "_R-Remember the time w-when you're were only 2 years old? When you h-had your teddy bear Tim-Tim r-ripped up… and I helped fixed him for you?_"

The long-lost memory came back to him. "Yeah… but that was because you've ran him over with the lawnmower while trimming the lawn," he answered grumpily.

"_Maybe so… but you were so joyous afterwards when I gave him back to you, good as new,_" she replied, her confidence coming back to her. "_You may have been in tears for 40 minutes after seeing Tim-Tim all shredded to pieces… but you've never stopped hugging me after I sewed back his seams and re-stuffed him. I was even able to salvage his name tag too…_"

Timmy's eyes widened a little, feeling a little emotion creep up to his heart…

/

_There was a flashback of him when he was still in diapers… Tutti wasn't born just yet, and he was pretending to have a little picnic lunch with his toys. Then… SSSHHHRRRIIIPPP! Fluffs of cotton and wool went everywhere… and he became horrified when he saw the head of Tim-Tim wedged in the blades of the old-fashioned lawnmower his mother was pushing. The baby Toad boy wailed at the loss of his stuffed animal._

"_WHAAAAAA!"_

_Femi, who was now 5 months pregnant with her daughter, rushed over to him and cradled him in her arms._

"_Shhh! It's okay, Timmy! Don't panic! I can fix him up in no time!" she soothed._

"_But Tim-Tim g-gone now…," her son sniffled, his lip trembling._

"_He's not gone. He's just got a little boo-boo. If you let me help him, I can probably patch him up and make him all better."_

_Setting Timmy down, she gathering up all the pieces of the teddy bear that she could find and went into the house to get her sewing kit._

_After an hour or so of waiting, the Toad boy's tearful mug became an enthusiastic one when he saw Tim-Tim gently laid down before him… looking exactly the same as he was before getting run over by the gardening tool. Femi watched with a smile as he cuddled his fluffy friend… and became surprised when he clambered to her leg and squeezed it lovingly._

"_Thank you, Mommy. Me love you."_

"_I love you too, sweetheart. I always will…," she uttered, rubbing his head with a tender hand before kissing it._

/

The present day Timmy found himself wiping his face with his sleeve. Although it was years since that happened, he couldn't believe it all came back to him in vivid detail. But he hadn't quite forgiven his mom just yet.

"Alright then… tell me another time you've been there for me!" he called out to her.

It was a little harder this time for Femi to think of another happy recent moment with her family, but she managed to cling onto one. "_Ah… that time when we were preparing for Tutti's second birthday. I remember clearly… you were so scared of what to get for her… and I've made a suggestion for you of what she really wanted. And when she opened it, she was so glad you got it for her, and you thanked me for coming up with the idea."_

/

_The next flashback shows Timmy again, this time at 4 years of age. He was currently in his room pacing around… and he was all flustered._

"_Oh… what to do? A new ribbon for her hair? No…," he stammered. "A new Game Boy? Nuh-uh… Mommy would say it's too much money. Umm… maybe I could give her my hamster Huey… No no! She would know it's mine! Ohhhh!"_

_At this point, Femi comes into his bedroom after hearing the Toad boy's cries of dilemma. She acted as though she heard nothing._

"_What's the matter, honey? Did you lose your coat again?" she asked. Her son turned around and squealed when he saw her._

"_Nuh-uh! My coat is in my closet, Mommy! So you don't need to check in there!"_

"_Then what are you so worried about?"_

_The small Toad gulped while clinging onto his arms, like they might fall off. "I… I don't know what to get for my sister for her birthday…," he mumbled in shame. _

_He was afraid that she would get angry at him for not coming up with a present for Tutti, and he cringed for her response… but she did no such thing to harm or belittle him. Instead, Femi walked to his bed and sat on it. She patted on the sheets for him to join her, and he did so._

"_Well… perhaps I can give you a hint of what she asked me most for her gift," she claimed. "You can give it to her in your name so it won't trouble you anymore."_

_Timmy gasped. "But…but Mommy! That's __your__ present for her! How would you be able to give her anything?"_

_She laughed lightly while rubbing his arm in a soft manner. "That's alright… me and your dad already have something for her, so don't worry too much." She leaned into his ear and dropped her voice to a whisper. "This is what you can give her…"_

/

_There were shavings of wrapping paper all over the place in the living room. Femi and Timmy were helping Tutti open up her gifts, since she couldn't be able to remove the decoration with her weak baby fingers. The father of the family wasn't here to see this momentous occasion… he was coming home late from his job at the hardware store._

_The Toad girl cooed eagerly when she uncovered her next present: a pair of light-blue overalls, a pink shirt with a sunflower on it, and pristine white shoes with yellow laces._

"_Yay! Thank you, Mommy!" she cheered. She jumped up and down, making her short auburn hair bounce. She was currently wearing nothing on her head, except for a few daisy flowers hanging on each side of her face._

"_Hahaha… I'm glad you love it, my dear," her mother smiled. "Now… I believe your brother has something he wants to give you. He's hoping you'd be thrilled to see it."_

_She gestured her son to come up. Timmy, who was holding a box the size of his head, waddled over to his sibling and laid out his present near his sister. Tutti gave him a warm hug to show her love for him, which in turn made his cheeks a bright red. With both children pulling off the shiny yellow wrapping, they opened the flaps of the box and peered inside. The Toad girl gave an "Oh!" of astonishment._

_Within the cardboard square… there was a bright, brand-new mushroom hat with pink spots dotting all over its surface. The texture was soft and squishy, perfect for any Toad's delicate head. And inscribed on the tag was Tutti's name, made in Timmy's handwriting in messy, yet legible letters._

"_For me?" The Toad girl was staring at her brother like he was the most awe-inspiring person she ever saw. And before Timmy knew it, she embraced him again… this time with a tighter, more closer hold on his stomach, and she was nuzzling him like a kitten. A large smile was planted on her adorable face. "Ohhh… thank you very much, big brother! I will love you always!"_

_The Toad boy returned her affection by wrapping his arms around her as well. He looked up at his mother with a happy expression._

"_Thank you, Mommy…," he muttered, and the two children continued to hugged each other until it was time to cut the cake._

/

Going back to present once more, and the troubled boy on the billboard was feeling his heartstrings being tugged. He was beaming a smile as he placed a hand to his chest. That was a wonderful day they had together… there were no horrible worries, no parents being divorced, no youth formulas to get mixed in… just simple family bliss.

That was two memories so far… two memories that he hope to cherish forever. Now there was one more to go…

"Okay… um…" He was now finding it almost impossible to come up with reasons of why she doesn't love him. "But hold on! You never mentioned any time you comforted me AFTER Dad left! So explain that one!"

Now it was becoming challenging for Femi to think about any good memories that were recent. She could only recall some just prior to her divorce, but anything _after_… caused her to draw a blank. Valentina could see she was struggling to keep convincing her son and became anxious. If this stops here… it was only going to keep their relationship apart.

"_I… I… um… uhh…_" Come on, Femi, she thought. Think… think… your son is waiting for you. It was a tense few minutes that the Toad mother stuttered like that. And then…

"_Gasp! Of course! That time you got a scrape on your leg while biking on that hill a year ago!_" she exclaimed. "_You received such a bad concussion, I had to get you to the hospital! They had to bandage you up like some poor burn victim! Ohh… you were so injured and dazed, Tutti thought you were dying… and I couldn't stop myself from barging into the ward you were in. I didn't think you would remember this… because the doctors say it may be a while before you could comprehend anything again._" Her tears were flooding back from the tragic memory. "_Sniff… but… I was on your bedstead the entire time… and I sang for you when it looked like you were having a nightmare… just to calm you in your sleep._"

The details were all fuzzy within Timmy's brain… but when he really kept musing about it, he _did_ thought that some womanly voice was calling out to him when he was unconscious that day.

"_I sung you a lullaby each night… sometimes it was 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' or 'Little Boy Blue'… but you were most particularly fond of 'My Tiny Mushroom'. That was your favourite when you were a baby. So I thought you'd like to relive that…_"

Suddenly, it all became sharp and clear. He _definitely_ remembered the voice singing that tune. And when he did, it was when he got a glimpse of his mother's face for a brief moment.

"You… you sang that for me?" he choked.

"_Yes, my dear… I have,_" Femi said, feeling so glad that her son had regained his memory. "_And… I'm very sorry I didn't seem like I cared for you. It was all my fault… sniff… y-you're my special baby boy… and I s-shouldn't have t-turned you away when your father left… sniff…_" She was trembling from all the guilt that she was holding, and couldn't keep her voice straight at all. "_I'm such a h-horrible mother! P-Please forgive me, Timmy!_"

The Toad boy couldn't bear it either. He collapsed on his knees, feeling so bad for causing so much anguish to her. "I'm sorry too, Mom! I… I just wanted you to know… I still care about you! And I won't make you suffer anymore! I love you!" The crowds around them began to go "Aww…" in the feeling of the moment.

"_I l-love you too, son! Please c-come down so you c-can give your m-mother a hug!_"

And then… everyone's heart stopped. As soon as Timmy got up, he made the rafters creaked and groan before… they finally snapped from too much exertion. It all happened in slow motion. He screamed as he began to plummet down to the rock-hard ground. The citizens' eyes bulged wide with horror, most especially Femi's.

As the Toad boy was falling, he could literally see his entire life flash before his very eyes. The day he was born and set into his mother's arms… his first steps as he reached out to his dad… his first words when he saw both parents smiling down upon him… when Tim-Tim was torn up… the day he got chicken pox… the moment he saw Tutti's birth into the world…

He was now 40 feet from hitting the pavement…

The day they went to the zoo to see the animals… the day he gave his gift to his sister on her second birthday… the time both children hid in the closet because of the boogeyman… the time he learned to ride a bike… when he lost his first tooth… his first day of school… the time that he was able to tie his shoelaces all by himself…

He closed his eyes when he reached 20 feet…

When Tutti held him after Huey died… the day he got lost on that camping trip… the night when his mother and father divorced each other… when he had that biking accident on Fungi Avenue… when Sam, Mutt and Pig threw rocks and chased him while he protected his sibling… and finally… that fateful day when he officially met Valentina and this whole mess got started.

He suspected that he must have been dead by now. Because he no longer felt like he was falling… more like rising up. He felt comfortably warm all around himself. And when he looked again at first glance, he saw angel wings flapping in and out of his vision.

But something was odd about this rise to heaven… Why did he still have his same clothes on? Why is it now that he was heading back down to the ground again? And… why was there two large pink orbs hanging down above his face?

"Huh? What the…?"

"You can open your eyes again, sleepyhead," a female voice purred cutely.

His position was shifted and he was now looking face to face with Valentina, who was smiling dearly at him. The Toad boy gaped at her with complete shock.

"V-Valentina! How… how did… am… am I dead?" he spluttered.

"Heehee… No… you're not, silly. I just saved you in the nick of time. It was easy to catch you when you were dropping below our heads."

"You… you _saved_ me?"

"Yes, I did," the bubbly girl laughed. "Now come on… let's get you back to your mom. You sure gave her the scare of her life."

The pair gently swooped down to the crowd beneath, and hovered above the street until they slowly touched feet on the asphalt. Running towards them was Femi, who didn't stopped to apologize for knocking a few people to the ground. With long, streaking tears of both sadness and joy, she picked up her son and hugged him so close to her breast, it was like his whole cranium squished into her chest plate. The entire vicinity was filled with cheering and clapping for the reunion of both child and parent.

"Ohhh… oh, Timmy… my baby boy… my sweet, special, and loving baby boy…"

"Urf… Mamm!" Timmy whined in muffled words. "Yur sqishing by dose! Ah cn't bweath!"

"Oh, I'm sorry my dear!" she apologized. She relaxed her arms to give him breathing space, while at the same time rubbing his back like a newborn. Her eyes turned towards Valentina and she made a genuine smile. "You've saved my son… I can't express my gratitude enough for you. I've totally misjudged your character… and I regret saying all the harsh things about you."

The bouncing beauty shrugged. "Hehehe… it was nothing, miss. Just helping another fellow neighbour out."

Femi laughed slightly while cradling Timmy. "I still thank you nonetheless… and I grant your permission to visit us anytime you want. You've earned my trust. That's the least I can hope to give to a brave, kind soul such as yourself."

The Toad boy became amazed. "R-Really, Mom? She can see and baby-sit me and Tutti again?"

"I don't see any reason not to anymore," his mother admitted. "But of course, it's up to her to decide if… huh? Where did she go?"

Both she and Timmy looked around, but saw that Valentina was nowhere to be seen. Like she vanished from thin air.

The bubbly girl had actually taken off into the skies again, and sailed through the clouds in content, heading directly back to Mario's Pad. She couldn't stop grinning herself silly as she beat her wings in the high atmosphere.

"Looks like my job is done," she chuckled. "Time to see what my Luigi Squeegee is doing now. I think I've made him worried enough…"

/

_Three Weeks Later…_

/

The For Rent sign that hanged just on the curb was being yanked out by the realtor sales-Toad, just as the moving truck was backing up on the driveway. And standing on the lawn were Luigi and a very giddy Valentina, while they watched the movers bring in her personal stuff into her new home.

The apartment was a three-story modern building with plain white concrete. It had a few patches of flowering gardens that lined up on either side of the entrance, and a solid oak tree that grew in solitude a few feet away from the sidewalk. The property was located in a moderately populated area called Maple Avenue, which was not too far off from where Mario's Pad was, and only a five minute walk down to Timmy's home. For a starter home… it was quite the cute, cozy kind.

Luigi let out a long whistle. "Now _I_ gotta say… this is sure a swanky pad!"

His girlfriend giggled and gave him a kiss on his cheek. "Thanks, honey!" she bubbled. She clutched her arms to hug herself. "I'm so excited! I finally got a place to call my own!"

"Hehehe… you sure do!" he responded. "Although I can't help but admit… I'll miss the snuggling in bed a bit." A blush crept up his face when he said this.

She smirked at him like she always does when she playfully teases him. "You know… you can always move in with me when you feel like it, my green stud."

His blush deepened. "Calm down now… one step at a time."

A burly, unshaven moving Toad came up to the couple and handed out a couple letters. "Ahem… you got some mail, miss. Just came in by Paratroopa delivery." The bouncing beauty curiously took the envelopes and began opening one of them, while the Toad went back to the truck to help heave a trunk of fashionable clothes.

"That's odd," Luigi wondered, as he saw her unfolding the letter. "You only moved in here for a less than 30 minutes, and already you got postal service running. Wonder who it could be?"

"Shhh! I'm reading!" Valentina hissed. After a few lines, her eyes lit up with joy. "It's from E. Gadd!"

"Really? I guess he must have special delivered it to you with one of his wacky inventions. Mind you… I'm still puzzled with that 'youth formula' he gave you a while back. What did he ever do with it, by the way?"

"He scraped it. Says it's too dangerous for the outside world, or something like that… Here, why don't you read with me?" The duo lifted the piece of paper, so that both could have equal view of the message scrawled by the eccentric scientist:

"_Greetings Valentina…_

"_How are you, my dear? Just heard you've got your own home to yourself! My, my… you sure grew up fast! Hahaha… just kidding. I'm fine, if you're wondering how I am. Business with ghost-catching is booming as usual, thanks to your green-clad knight (he's sure the charmer, isn't he? Hehehehe…), plus I've made a wonderful new organic species while you were away! Perhaps I can show you once you've settled in._

"_Well, that's all I have to say at the moment. The world of science is always moving forward, and I better get moving so I don't get left in the dust. Congratulations on your new humble abode, and I'll try sending a fruit basket your way!"_

_Yours Truly,_

_Professor Elvin Gadd_

"Well that was nice of him!" Luigi stated, placing his hands to his sides. "Which reminds me… oh darn!" His eyes widened in realization. "I forgot I was suppose to check in for work! Oh man, I got to get going before E. Gadd cans me for being late!"

But before he could rush off to the Professor's lab, the bubbly girl pulled him back and gave him another smooch, this time on the lips. "That's for later, my cute sweetie… Be sure to stop by when you're off this evening," she said in a cute, seductive manner. "Go get em', tiger."

Looking a bit awkward, but still appreciating her support all the same, Luigi gave a smile of determination and headed off to his occupation in a jog.

While she watched him disappear off the street, she began opening the second letter in her hands. This one was slightly thicker than the first, and had a messy font written in the address space. Valentina carefully unfolded the message, pulling out some extra content from within, and studied through the words:

"_Dear Valentina…_

"_How's it going? I know it's been a while since we last met, but thought I could just give you a heads up if you want to see us again._

"_I've been good in both home and in school. Tutti's been amazing some of the students and teachers in her classes, no doubt because of her vast book smarts. She's even helping me with my studies (though she won't tell me the answers for the upcoming Math quiz I have to prepare for), and is already bumped up to my grade level. No doubt Sam, Mutt and Pig will try to tease her for being a geek… but if they do, I'll be sure to give them a piece of my mind. And by my mind, I meant you, of course… hehehe…_

"_Mom is trying out one of the recipes you gave her, and says it was __the__ most delicious dish she ever had! Maybe… if you're not too busy or anything… you can come over for dinner some time. I'd really be happy if you would join us._

"_I got to go for now. Mom's now calling me to clean up my room… not that it's too messy or anything. She says hi, by the way. Tutti says hello as well, and she misses you and your awesome games too! And I want to say… thanks for making my wish come true, Valley."_

_Your friend and most favourite Toad,_

_Timmy Ice T._

_P.S.: "Cross your heart, hope to die, stick a needle in your eye if you lie about not wanting to visit me. Hahaha… I'm only joking."_

Valentina gave a happy smile to no one in particular. "Oh, I'll be there all right… don't you worry. This is the start of a beautiful friendship."

/

The End


End file.
